Ballykissangel: 20 Years Later
by Avoca Girl
Summary: Twenty years after Assumpta died the village of Ballykissangel has moved on. When Assumpta's American cousin shows up after all these years will the village be more than she can bargain for? A/N This is an idea I've had sitting on my laptop years, I have finally found time to finish it, be kind! :)
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE – TRYING TO CONNECT TO YOU

Brendan Kearney walked slowly with the aid of his cane into Fitzgerald's. Years of cycling through the village and Wicklow Mountains had wreaked havoc on his knees, and while he was still a relatively young old man, arthritis was well on its way. He still had the strength to pull himself up onto a barstool though.

Aidan Kelly waved to Brendan as he walked across the pub to his favourite seat. His family bought the pub nearly ten years ago when Aidan was in his early twenties and he had been charged with running the place single handed ever since. It cost the Kelly family a pretty penny to get the pub back to the status of a reputable B&B again, but when the tourism season was in full flourish the little place managed to turn a profit. The church had lost all financial interest in the property when the Father Sheehan left the parish. Rumour was he left because Avril the stable owner and since no one had heard him in about 15 years the villagers accepted the rumour as fact.

It had been more than 20 years since Assumpta passed away, Father Clifford left, and most of the residents of Ballykissangel had scattered to the winds. The Celtic Tiger invaded Ireland with a force but with every up comes a down and the rural communities who once thrived on tourism trade and private enterprise where soon left to a small grocery store, a bookie shop, and of course a pub. The National School closed and Brendan was able to seek retirement benefits for the rest of his life. Siobhan had been offered a position as a partner in a clinic in Dublin, and Michael Ryan found a similar offer himself years ago. The village kids had a long grown up, went away to university, some even immigrated to Australia, and just the few dedicated old timers were left. Brendan, Kathleen, Father Mac and now Aidan struggling to make the pub work.

"Usual Brendan?" Aidan asked pulling a Guinness glass from the shelf behind him.

"Black Gold Aidan, Black Gold!"

Brendan sipped his pint and read the newspaper while Aidan busied himself with the newest stock order. The door opened and closed in the distance and the shuffling of suitcases was heard across the wooden floor. Brendan glanced up and then took a double take, the pint of stout slipped from his hand, crashed to the floor and shattered.

"Assumpta?" he whispered.

"Brendan you alright?!" Aidan said rushing to the aging teacher.

"Aidan, look over there and tell me if I am seeing a ghost?"

A woman with wavy auburn hair stood with her back to them looking over the mantel. She turned slowly to reveal ivory skin and brown eyes. She was dressed in a jean skirt with a red jumper. Aidan smiled happily as he went to assist his new guest. Brendan kept squinting at the new comer and staring back at the picture of Assumpta which hung on the wall near the bar. The resemblance was uncanny but all Aidan could think of was her general beauty.

"Hi!" the woman smiled brightly with an American accent.

"Hi," smiled Aidan, "Do you have a reservation?"

"A reservation? Do I need one?" she laughed.

"If you want a room you do."

"Didn't you get my letter? You are a Fitzgerald aren't you? Related to my cousin Assumpta?"

"Cousin Assumpta?" Brendan whispered under his breath.

"A few letters addressed to the Fitzgerald's have shown up here, but to be honest Miss we throw them away. A Fitzgerald hasn't owned this establishment in nearly twenty years."

"But I have a cousin Assumpta, she owns this pub."

"Brendan? A little help!" Aidan shouted back to the only member of the pub who had been there long enough to remember when Assumpta had been alive.

Brendan walked closer to the woman and it wasn't until he was less than three feet away from her that he could truly convince himself this wasn't Assumpta.

"Hello, I'm Brendan, I knew Assumpta very well, taught her at the National school in fact years ago. Maybe you better come over here and sit, we have a lot to talk about."

"But my bags?"

"Don't worry I will take them to your room," Aidan smiled again.

"My room? But you said I didn't have a reservation."

"We'll sort something out."

The stranger followed Brendan back to the bar where he sat in a new seat not soaked with beer and motioned for the young lady to sit next to him. When Aidan returned he poured another stout for Brendan and a red wine for the lady.

"You said Assumpta was your cousin?" Brendan asked delicately.

"Yes, only I have never met her you see. Her father had a brother who immigrated to the US years ago. They lost touch, and when I came here to live, see I work in Dublin, I was told to try and find her. I knew the town but it has taken some time getting settled myself."

"What's your name?"

"Anne, Anne Assumpta Fitzgerald."

"Anne, I don't know how to tell you this but Assumpta passed away, nearly twenty years ago now."

"I'm afraid I don't understand, no one ever said..."

"We didn't know. See she had no family left in Ballyk and we just assumed she was the last of the line. They buried her in the church cemetery."

"How did it happen?"

"There was an accident, here in the pub, she was electrocuted in the cellar."

"My god!"

"I remember the night it happened, the night of the Chinese Food Faire, the whole village was here for a food contest and the lights in the pub had been playing up all week. They flickered and she insisted she fix them herself. Poor Peter, he was so lost without her, and when last rites were given, well I didn't think the poor man could continue to go on. He rode with her body to the hospital, and wouldn't leave her side in the morgue. Disappeared soon after that, sure we would get the odd letter here and there; apparently he went back to England."

"Was Peter her husband?"

"No, her husband was Leo McGarvey, but they were separated, and it was going to take five years of separation before they could file for divorce, its Irish Law," Brendan said with a wave of the hand.

"I am afraid I don't understand, so who was Peter."

"Peter was the parish priest."

"The priest!"

"I am afraid things got a little complicated, Assumpta was in love with the priest, or so we all suspected. She was hard as nails and had no time for the clergy, but she always made time for Peter. When she died we found out Peter loved her too, only nothing ever came of it. They were going to run away together, but she died before they could. Peter would be the one you should talk to, I have his address at my house if you want it."

"Yeah," Anne said absently, "So the pub, this belongs to Leo now?"

"No, it belongs to me," Aidan interjected.

"You? But you aren't a Fitzgerald or a McGarvey."

"No, he's not," explained Brendan, "but Leo wanted nothing to do with the pub and he returned to London, he was a journalist you see, Assumpta's best friend Niamh ran it for awhile but when her father died, well disappeared, and she lost her husband, she remarried and moved back to England as well. There was another estate sale and the church bought it, it was under the church until about ten years ago when Aidan here became our new publican, and we got a priest around the same time. Young kid from Belfast just out of seminary, Father Patrick Haulings."

"My head hurts," Anne laughed pressing her fingers to her temples, "So I have come all this way to find out my only living Irish relative died twenty years ago and she was in love with the priest."

"I'm afraid that is the long and short of it," smiled Brendan weakly, "another glass of red?"

"Better make the next one a gin and a double at that."


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO – THE THINGS WE DO FOR LOVE

Anne found herself at Brendan's side for most of the evening. A few locals trickled in and out, always giving her a second glance as they saw her cousin's ghost. It was late when she went up to her room, soon finding only herself and Aidan were occupying the pub that night.

Brendan walked slowly home, to his new house in the village much closer to town. He looked at the clock over the mantel and found it was a little after two in the morning. Unable to go straight to sleep he pulled out a piece of paper from his desk.

 _PETER CLIFFORD_

 _45 EAST BURLINGTON WAY_

 _MACHESTER ENGLAND_

 _M32 UKZ54_

He took the paper and fingered it gently, before taking a fresh sheet and copying the information down. He would take it to the pub in the morning. On the back of the card was scrolled a phone number, Brendan thought about it briefly and decided "not just yet" before he put the card back in his desk, and folded the fresh sheet into his jacket pocket.

Anne sat at the pub alone with Aidan nursing her last drink with a yawn.

"Last orders," he smiled at her.

"Sorry, I am keeping you up past your bed time."

"Ah you're grand, not often we get a guest as beautiful as you around here."

"Now you are full of it, I have lived in Dublin awhile now, the Irish charm rubbed off a long time ago."

Aidan smiled, "I know you are only staying a few days, but tomorrow around lunch time would you like to maybe go for a walk?"

"I was actually hoping I could see the priest in the morning."

"Confess a sin?" he asked leaning close.

"Hardly," Anne laughed haughtily, "I was hoping he could help me find Assumpta's grave."

"Ok, what about tomorrow evening? Any plans? I might be able to slip away for a few hours, have dinner in Cildargan, if you want?"

"What like a date?"

"Yeah like a date."

"Do you really think that is a good idea?"

"What do you have a fella in Dublin?"

"Not exactly, but I don't believe in starting things you can't finish."

"It's just dinner, just two friends out to dinner."

"Oh we're friends now?" Anne laughed.

"I know I never met your cousin, but you are starting to do her memory justice."

"Thanks," Anne smiled, "Yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes, I will have dinner with you."

"Really?"

"Yes really," she smiled back.

"You know we are the only ones in the whole pub?"

"You have no other straggling guests?"

"Nope, just you and I."

"Good then it will be quiet when I go to bed," Anne smiled getting off her stool, "Do you need help with the mess?"

"I can get it in the morning."

"Wake me up; I will give you a hand."

"Just roll over love."

"Excuse me, did you say 'just roll over?'"

"It was a joke."

"Sure it was. Right I am off to bed, and consider the offer to do the dishes off the table," Anne yawned making her way towards the stairs.

"But we are still on for dinner right?"

"Good night Aidan!" Anne said waving over her shoulder.

When Anne reached her room she collapsed onto the bed still in her clothes and makeup feeling safe for the first time all night to let on how drunk she really was. She eyed the sink in the corner of the room and debated if she needed to fill a glass of water. Thinking the better of it and chucking it all up to laziness she closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift into a state of unconsciousness.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE – LIVE IN MY HEART AND PAY NO RENT

Anne's head pounded as she stirred in her bed only a mere few hours after having ascended up the stairs of the pub. Her eyes felt as though they had been rubbed with sand paper, her mouth dry as a dessert, and it was possible that her hair had ground a consciousness of its own as each strand screamed on her head. She pulled herself together and between bouts of gagging brushed her teeth, styled her hair, put on a few dashes of makeup and pulled a church appropriate outfit from her case. A light knocking at her door drew her attention.

"Come it, it's open!"

"Oh you look rough," Aidan said setting a cup of tea on the bedside table.

"Do all your tenants get this kind of treatment?"

"Just the pretty ones, here drink this, it will help, I will make us a breakfast if you want to join me in the kitchen? Say ten minutes?"

"Yeah alright."

Anne eyed the tea and suppressed a gag at its milky texture; however it was sugary to the taste and found to coat her stomach as it went down. She finished dressing and walked slowly down the stairs to see the pub spotless and a smell of frying sausages wafting from the kitchen.

"Isn't that grease just enough to make you sick?" she asked peeking her head around the corner.

"Have a seat, you will be right as rain in no time. Still going to the church today?"

Anne looked down at herself, "Do I look alright?"

"Beautiful," Aidan winked.

"Oh please, I feel like death, and I am sure it shows, still this looks good," she said as the plate of fried foods was set before her, "so what's the story with the priest?"

"Oh now Brendan is the one to talk to about that," Aidan interjected quickly.

"No, not the English one, the current one."

"Oh, well I am not really a regular church goer, Kathleen, owns the shop across the road hates him so that is a sign he must be doing some good for the village, his name is Patrick Haulings and he's from Northern Ireland, Belfast or there abouts."

"Right, and will he know where Assumpta was buried?"

"He will have records of it right enough, mass will be ending soon, not that anyone will have attended, you should be able to catch him then."

"What he says mass to no one?"

"We all have our duties I suppose," Aidan shrugged.

Anne threw her camel coloured jacked over her shoulder followed by her purse. The late spring morning was still crisp and fresh. The cool air brought colour back to her cheeks as she walked up the hill towards the church. A few older parishioners gave her a second glance as she walked in, and whispered amongst themselves. After the last night in the pub she was getting used to this treatment.

Anne walked through the door of the old church, still with its wooden pews and choir loft. She walked up to the altar taking notice of every stained glass depiction. She turned around, her back to the altar and stared up to the ceiling above. While not a religious person she could see how God could be in all things at times like this.

"May I help you?" a man's voice echoed through the empty church.

Anne turned to face a young man roughly her age with black hair and strikingly blue eyes. He was dressed in a t-shirt with a long sleeve plaid button up over the top and a pair of jeans and trainers. Aidan had been kind to her but this man was strikingly gorgeous! Her breath stopped for a moment when she saw him.

"I certainly hope so, I'm Anne," she said extending her hand forward breathlessly.

"You look familiar, have we met before?"

"Do you drink in the pub?"

"Occasionally," he laughed.

"I look a lot like my cousin, Assumpta; her picture hangs in the pub?"

"Ah right, well how can I help you Anne?"

"I'm looking for the priest, his name is Patrick, you haven't seen him about have you?"

"Oh I think I know where he can be found, how can he help you?"

"I am looking for Assumpta's death records and her grave if possible."

"And you think the priest can help you?"

"I am hopeful he can."

"Come this way," the man said leading Anne towards the sacristy.

"Shouldn't we find Father Haulings?"

"Oh, didn't I introduce myself? I'm Patrick," the man smiled over his shoulder.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR – FALLEN ANGEL

Anne found herself not moving as Patrick continued into the back room of the church.

"Coming?" he asked poking his head through the door way.

"Ah, yeah," Anne stuttered.

The first somewhat eligible bachelor she found herself attracted to in months and it had to be the parish priest. Maybe she was more like her cousin than she first thought. She watched as Patrick pulled a large leather bound book from a high shelf and laid it on the table with a thud. He flipped through the pages until he came to a portion labelled 1990's.

"Ah, here she is, Assumpta Fitzgerald McGarvey, born April 17 1973, died May 3 1998, she was only 25 it seems," Patrick rattled off methodically.

"25? That seems so young," Anne commented.

"Yeah, only a few years behind us really," Patrick paused for a moment before carrying on, "any it appears she is buried in the church cemetery, plot 56 row B, I can show you if you like?"

"Yeah, I think you better."

Anne followed the plain clothes priest out into the courtyard behind the church. They walked a short distance before stumbling upon the neatly kept cemetery. Patrick walked through without taking much notice of the graves behind him. At the very end of the row he paused in front a rather small grave and crossed himself.

"Is this her?" Anne asked.

"This is Assumpta, Assumpta, you have a visitor."

"Do you always talk to the graves?"

"Sometimes when I am alone, sure they still are with us even though they have passed on."

"I thought Catholics didn't believe in ghosts."

"I believe we call them 'spirits,'" Patrick smiled.

Anne rolled her eyes and knelt before the grave. The flowers looked relatively fresh and a few cards had been tucked around them.

"Assumpta Fitzgerald, you said she was married? Why is her maiden name only on here?"

"Apparently who ever made the funeral arrangements at the time asked her married name be left off the stone."

"Curious."

"Very, but this is rural Ireland, home of the bizarre," Patrick smiled.

"You're not from rural Ireland."

"Ear for the accents? Mine tends to give me away."

"More like an ear for a good bit of gossip in the pub."

Anne turned her attention back to the cards attached to the base of the stone ignoring Patrick.

"Go ahead, I am sure she wouldn't mind," Patrick gestured towards the cards, "you're family after all."

Anne picked up the cards. A few were from Niamh saying how much she missed her best friend, one was from Brendan, another from a man named Padraig, a third from a woman named Siobhan, and then a very colourful red card tucked in at the very bottom. Its bright colour attracted Anne's attention, carefully she unfolded the card.

" _I will always love you my Irish rose." – Yours P_

"P?" Anne asked.

"Think about it," Patrick smiled.

"Well it's not you," Anne laughed.

"No, a bit before my time," Patrick laughed back.

"Peter, Peter Clifford?"

Patrick nodded in response.

"May I keep this?"

"I don't see why not."

"So he still comes back then?" Anne asked folding the card into her handbag.

"Not exactly, you have met Brendan?"

"Yeah last night in the pub."

"Well it sounds like Mr. Kearney isn't telling you the whole story."

"And can you tell me this story?"

"It isn't really my place to, but if you ask him about the card I am sure there will be more to tell."

"Thank you Patrick, you have been very helpful."

"Will I be seeing you at Mass tomorrow?"

"Hardly, I am not a Catholic."

"Oh I just assumed..."

"I did away with guilt and fairy stories years ago Father," she said with some distain.

"Are you staying in Fitzgerald's?"

"I am."

"Sure I will have a drink with you later then?"

"Are you asking me out on a date Father?" Anne asked coyly.

Patrick stood silent, slightly taken aback.

"A joke Father," she said with emphasis on 'father, "I think I have plans to be in Cildargan tonight, but when I get back afterwards, if you are still there, then yes a drink would be lovely."

"Only in the town a day and plans already?"

"I'm popular!" she shouted over her shoulder before heading back into the village.

Anne walked through the pub doors to find the regulars having their lunch. She plopped herself down at a bar stool near Brendan, ordered a glass of red wine and asked to see a lunch menu.

"Was the trip a success?" Aidan asked handing her glass of wine across the bar.

"I believe it was, but has left me with more questions than answers, questions for Brendan."

Brendan lifted his head at the sound of his name.

"Questions how?" he asked his eyes shifting around in his head.

Anne picked up her wine glass and moved down a few seats closer before sliding the card across the counter in Brendan's direction. He took the card, opened it briefly and slapped it back down on the counter.

"You know it is wrong to steal off of other people's graves," he muttered.

"It's wrong to lie too."

"I didn't lie to you; I just haven't told you everything."

"Did Peter come back?"

"No."

"Then who is P?"

"Peter, he mails the cards to me and asks me to place them there, he hasn't been back since her death, and I thought no one knew I was the one bringing the cards, but clearly the busy body priest has been keeping a visitors log," Brendan said sarcastically.

"It's a small village."

"It's a small bleeding country!"

Aidan walked over to the chatting pair placing another pint of stout in front of Brendan before turning his attention back to his house guest.

"So anything looking good on the menu? Or anything else that can satisfy your appetites?" Aidan said flirtatiously.

"Actually I have gone off eating," she said glancing towards Brendan, "I will save my appetite for tonight," she smiled redeeming herself.

"Tonight? You mean you are actually going to let me take you out to dinner?"

"If the offer still stands?"

"Oh it does it does!"

"Great, I will see you down here around 7 then?" she asked sliding off the stool and heading back up to her room.

"Great," Aidan sighed happily.

"She's from Dublin, don't get too attached, she will leave like all tourists," Brendan commented.

"I don't know, I think it is different this time. I think this little village is getting to her that is if the locals will behave themselves."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"You have the answers to her questions; maybe you should try telling her the truth instead of covering for this priest friend of yours."

"Peter was a good man."

"Does Peter know she is here?"

"Not yet."

"So you going to call him?"

"What's with the third degree?! Can't a man just come in and enjoy a pint?!" Brendan shouted before gathering his coat and storming to the door.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE – THE POWER AND THE GORY

Anne found herself sitting across the table from Aidan in a tiny little Italian restaurant in Cildargan. Unlike her cousin, she wasn't too proud to let a man pay for her meal. Aidan drilled Anne with questions regarding her childhood to what brought her to Dublin. She answered happily, never having a problem talking about herself, but yet her heart wasn't in it. Her mind continually wandered back to Assumpta, Peter and at the very end of it all she found herself thinking about Patrick. She set down her wine glass and sighed.

"Everything ok?" Aidan asked leaning a little further across the table and taking her hand in his.

"Yeah, I am just thinking you know?"

"I try not to do too much of that."

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me," Anne smirked.

Anne and Aidan chatted pleasantly as the courses of their meal came and went. Full, Anne and Aidan walked back to his truck where he held open the door for her.

"Are you sure you are only going to stay through the weekend? " Aidan asked as they drove through the twisting and winding roads leading to Ballykissangel.

"I work in Dublin, I live in Dublin, I have a pet fish and house plants in Dublin, I need to get back there," Anne said smiling and resting her head on the back of the seat.

"Can I take you somewhere that might change your mind?"

"If this is an excuse to fool around outside, I am not dressed for it."

"No, nothing like that, it's somewhere your cousin really liked, or so the stories go."

The mention of Assumpta gained Anne's attention.

"What do you mean?" Anne asked with reserve.

"There is a lake not far from here. Just before Assumpta died, her and Peter were spotted there together, just walking."

"How soon before she died?"

"A day, maybe hours."

Anne suddenly became very sad.

"Would you like me to take you there?"

Anne nodded.

When they arrived at the slope leading to the lake the sun had just started to crest around the back of the Wicklow Mountains. Aidan held out his hand to Anne and gently guided her down the trail. They had just a few hours before it would be too dark to make their way back.

"It's called Lough Tough, it means Lake of Tea, because of the colour. I mostly think it looks like a big pint of Guinness but what do I know?"

Anne smirked in response.

"Anyway I guess Assumpta used to come here often, park her van on the side of the road and just walk, sometimes with the dog, sometimes alone."

"What happened to her dog?"

"There was a garage in town, long closed now, guy that ran it was named Padraig and he and his son Kevin moved to England, Kevin took the dog."

"Ah."

"Well it wouldn't be alive now anyway."

"No I know, I know, just wondering I guess. What kind of dog did she have?"

"Red Setter."

"All kind of sad isn't it?" Anne said looking back over her shoulder at the trail and the road, "She and Peter came down here for the last time and really thought they had their whole lives ahead of them, and she had no clue."

"Come on," Aidan said guiding Anne around the shoulders, "No more of this sad talk, let's go home."

Anne melted into Aidan's side as they walked back towards his truck. For just a moment she closed her eyes and thought about staying. Imagined her life in this small village running a pub and knowing every night she would have Aidan to go home too. There was a sense of security in it all, a security Anne was missing from her life. Suddenly she heard a *ping* and pulled her mobile phone from her pocket. She was missing a killer party in Dublin, and just as soon as the image full of quiet security entered her head it vanished in a puff of smoke.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX - MISSING YOU ALREADY

When the two returned to the pub, Anne found Patrick sitting on a bar stool and Aidan found the pub in utter shambles. Putting his hand gently on Anne's shoulder Aidan excused himself and went behind the bar to assist with the crowds. Patrick waved Anne over and she soon found herself sitting next to the priest.

"And we meet again," Patrick smiled.

"That we do."

"How was your date?"

"Was it a date?" Anne smiled coyly.

"Well that is what this lot thinks," Patrick said gesturing behind him to the crowd gathering.

"Typical. And it wasn't a date or he would still be here and not rushed off his feet behind the bar."

"A man has to make a living."

"Said from the man who took a vow of poverty."

"Check and Mate!"

"I know a man has to make a living, but being stood up when he is supposed to be making an impression isn't very flattering."

"Well if it were me I wouldn't leave you for work."

"Oh I think you have managed to do that already," Anne whispered.

"Sorry?"

"Priest joke, I will keep that to myself I think."

"Really?"

"I am sure Aidan thinks I am in safe hands leaving me with the priest?"

"Ya reckon?"

Anne turned on her stool to face Patrick directly when Aidan barrelled between the two with another round of drinks. Quickly Anne shrank back into her seat and casually Patrick turned to face Aidan.

"On the house, thanks for babysitting Father," Aidan winked before returning to the other side of the pub.

"Did he just say...?" Anne asked holding back fury.

"I believe he did," Patrick responded.

"Oh that is it; I didn't leave Dublin for this."

"Where are you going?"

"Up to my room."

"Calm down, enjoy your drink and just relax, it is still a nice evening out, why don't you step outside, sit on a bench, take your drink with you."

"Care to join me?"

"Yeah alright."

Patrick had successfully talked Anne out of leaving, if just for a little while. She pulled her jacket on over her shoulders, tucked her purse under her arm, grabbed her drink off the top of the bar and followed quietly. It would be several minutes before Aidan even noticed she was gone.

Patrick held Anne's wine glass while she attempted to get settled. She glanced over her phone quickly at a few missed texts she would answer later and instead pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit one casually blowing smoke into the air.

"Will you be back then?" Patrick asked trying to hide interest.

"Well I fell like there is a story to be told, I want to know more about Peter, but I don't know if I can do this country life for much longer. I am missing the bright lights and noise. It's too quiet here at night, and dark."

"Trust me you get used to it."

"I am sure you do, I just don't know if I want to."

"He wants you to stay," Patrick thumbed towards the pub.

"I am sure he does but, well he has a funny way of showing it at the moment," Anne stubbed her smoke out on the ground.

"Would it be so bad?"

"Do you want me to stay?"

Patrick smiled and stared down at his feet.

"Figures," Anne mumbled, "Look I am tired and have an early train so I am going to call it a night if that's alright. Thank you for a lovely evening Father."

Patrick stood to show politeness but chose not to say a word.

Anne quietly slipped back into the pub. She gave a nod to Brendan who subtly tipped his glass of stout in her direction. Aidan was talking to a punter, and in all fairness it was a woman. Anne smirked to herself as she slipped up the stairs and disappeared from the room.

The following morning she quietly carted her case down the stairs and went to make a break for the door. She had just enough time to catch a taxi and get to the train station in Cildargan. There were many trains going into the city that day but she had her heart set on being on the first one out. A rattling from the kitchen caught her attention as she placed her room key on the reception desk. Aidan came around the corner with a rack of glasses and paused when he saw her.

"Leaving? So soon?"

"Yeah, I need to get back to Dublin."

"I can give you a lift?"

"It's ok really, I will call a cab."

"We don't open for hours, look I will take you, it's no trouble."

Before Anne could protest yet another time she found herself back in Aidan's truck parked outside the train station.

"Thank you for everything, you have been extremely kind."

"Will you be coming back? For more family research maybe?"

"Maybe when I have another free weekend."

"But you don't know when that is?"

"Look Aidan, it's been fun but ..."

"But Ballyk is no Dublin."

"You said it, not me."

"True enough."

"Maybe this summer, when the weather is nice and I have time off for my summer holidays," Anne trailed away looking out the window.

"Anne," Aidan took her hand in his, "I want you to call me."

"You do?"

"Desperately."

Anne stifled a little laugh.

"What?"

"You are so cheesy, you have my number, it is on the hotel registry, you call me if that's what you want. I don't chase men Aidan," she leaned across the cab of the truck and planted a warm kiss on his cheek, "They chase me."

And with that Anne slipped from the truck, grabbed her case and darted up the stairs to the station without once looking back.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN – FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY

Life in Ballyk carried on after Anne's departure very much as it had before. Brendan had finally managed to settle into his bar stool without being interrogated. Peter hadn't called in a little over a month, and this sat well with Brendan as he didn't feel obligated to tell him about Anne's visit now that she'd left. Aidan on the other hand did not adapt so quickly. Often found sulking while pouring pints the other patrons started to tease him about his melancholy mood.

Patrick came in one evening, ordered a sandwich, a harp, and picked up a newspaper lying on the bar top. He too thought a little of the American which had graced their presence a few weeks before but he knew more than most that people often drifted in and out of one's lives for various reasons. Aidan dropped the sandwich plate rather carelessly in front of Patrick and sloshed the Harp down next to it.

"Hey mate, watch it there, you about dropped that all over me!"

"Huh, oh right, sorry Father."

"What's gotten into you Aidan anyway?"

"He's in love!" Liam teased from the corner booth, Donal sitting next to him, both of them looking like they hadn't moved in years.

"Have you called her?" Patrick asked leaning a little closer to the bar than was necessary.

"No," Aidan said quietly to himself.

"Well why not?"

"Ah she isn't interested, she is up in Dublin, and what would she want with Ballyk?"

"Well you are here for starters."

"She doesn't care about me."

"You haven't given her a chance," Patrick whispered and leaned in again with a coy smile on his face, "Call her!" he shouted then shot the newspaper up in front of his face so quickly Aidan couldn't argue.

Casually Aidan walked over and fingered the registry book on the counter in reception. He flipped back a few pages to where her reservation was listed.

 _Anne Fitzgerald, 086 435 1996_

He picked up the receiver and glanced down the bar once more to insure privacy. He waited pensively as the phone rang. In the distance Brendan walked in and sat grumpily at the bar.

"You alright there Brendan?" Patrick asked casually.

"I got a call this morning," Brendan mumbled.

"And I take it to mean it was bad news?"

"An old friend is coming to visit."

"Surely that is good news then?"

"It's Peter, 20 years nothing, and now he decides to visit!"

"Ah," Patrick pursed his lips together and took a sip of his pint, "That is bad timing, your man in there is just after calling Anne."

"Oh you're kidding!" Brendan exclaimed scrambling to reach Aidan just as he set the receiver down, "Please tell me I am not too late!"

"Too late for what?" Aidan smiled.

"I am! It's all over your face, you spoke with Anne!"

"Steady on, what's it to you if I spoke to Anne?"

"You didn't invite her back down here did you?"

"This weekend in fact," Aidan smiled widely, "Why?"

"Fool! You bloody fool!" Brendan stormed from the bar.


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT – RIVER DANCE

Brendan paced back and forth on the floor of his living room, phone cradled in his hand.

"Peter, you know I would love you to visit, but the timing ... well yes I understand you already booked your flight but its Ryanair how much really could it have ... oh I see ... Aer Lingus ... how much?! Ok listen Peter ... no no, you are right its fine ... Stay at the pub?! Isn't that a little...Well yes they do still have a B&B but ... ok well yes the number is the same ... a man named Aidan ... yes Friday at 4, ok will see you then."

Friday rolled around faster than anyone could imagine. Brendan was just hoping that after all this time of keeping the peace hopefully Peter and Anne could get through the weekend without running into one another.

The train pulled into the station in Cildargan as a younger woman with auburn hair alighted with a rather awkward overnight bag and a bulging purse. She struggled with it on the platform as a few remaining passengers milled around hailing taxis. An older English man with a youngish face approached the woman.

"Can I give you a hand?" he asked gently.

"Sorry?" the girl pulled her earbuds out and continued to wrestle with the case.

"Here allow me."

"Thanks! I just need to get down to the taxi rank."

"Down here on holidays?"

"Visiting friends, you?"

"Same."

"Nice place Cildargan."

"Yeah but I am just passing through, I am on my way to Ballykissangel."

"Really, me too," Anne smiled adjusting her sunglasses.

"It is a small world; would you like to share a taxi?"

"I'd love to, Anne, but the way, my name is Anne."

"Peter, nice to meet you."

Peter couldn't take his eyes of Anne as the taxi twisted and turned through the country roads.

"So do you have family in Ballyk then?" Anne asked casually.

"No just old friends and you? What brings you to this part of Ireland?"

"Well I had family here once, but not anymore. My cousin lived in Ballyk about 20 years ago, she was a publican but she died in a freak electrical accident. I only just found out myself a few weeks back, I came down here looking for her."

"Assumpta?"

"You knew her didn't you? Wait Peter was it? You're not Father Peter Clifford are you?"

Peter swallowed hard and looked out through the window. He ran his tongue over his bottom lip and bit down hard as a tear formed in the corner of one eye. The family resemblance was strong. He felt stupid for not seeing it on the train platform, if he had he would have ran and kept running. He brushed the tear from his eye and bit down a bit harder on his lip before glancing back in Anne's general direction. She saw the tear slip through his finger tips.

"Hey, it's ok Peter," she said putting her arms around his big shoulders.

Peter allowed himself to be comforted for the first time in years. He rested his chin on her shoulder and through blurry eyes looked into Anne's auburn hair. If he focused hard enough he believed it to be Assumpta's.

As the taxi pulled in front of Fitzgerald's the two sprang apart and Anne moved to her side of the car to let herself out. Between the two of them they paid their taxi and walked into the pub with cases in hand. Aidan came around the corner and scooped Anne up in his arms, but that was mild compared to the welcome which would greet Peter and last until the early hours of the morning.


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE – IN THE CAN

Anne moved Aidan's arm from around her shoulders and slipped from the bed. He rolled over into her space and grabbed her now vacant pillow pulling it close to him. Gently he murmured her name, a Cheshire cat grin smoothing out his lips, and again he settled into sleep. Breakfast wouldn't be served for a few more hours as Anne slipped her jacket on over Aidan's sweater, pulled on a pair of jeans and some trainers.

Peter had arisen early and finding no one downstairs made a pot of coffee in the pub kitchen. The memories flooded over him as he noticed how little things had changed. The Aga still proudly stood in the corner now surrounded by a few newer appliances. Peter closed his eyes as the room filled with Assumpta's voice. He shook his head as if shaking the memories out of his ears and filled a coffee cup. He walked with his head down towards the front door when Anne appeared near the fireplace.

"Good morning," she smiled.

"Is it?"

"How's the head?"

"Sore, and you?"

"I'm ok."

"You look just like her you know."

"So I've been told."

"She was beautiful, and lively," Peter smiled faintly.

"I can tell you miss her very much."

"Every day, it never gets any easier," Peter choked back his emotions, "Coffee? I just made a full pot."

"Yeah sounds great, Aidan will be asleep for hours; I was thinking a morning walk. Care to join me?"

"Yeah why not?"

The two of them, with coffee cups in their hand started their long descent towards the end of the village.

"So how long have you two been together?" Peter asked looking down at his feet.

"Aidan and I? Oh I wouldn't say we are together. We only met a few weeks ago, just seeing where things go at present."

"Believe it or not I understand," Peter smiled sympathetically.

"You know for a priest you are alright."

"Thanks."

They walked up to where the little white house stood between the church yard and the main road. Peter drained his cup and moved to sit on the wall outside. Again he closed his eyes and sighed, Assumpta's voice filled his thoughts.

 _Assumpta: What are you playing at? What are you trying to do to me?_

 _Peter: Assumpta, please._

 _Assumpta: Oh, that's what it is, you're worried about the neighbours now? Well?_

 _Peter: Well, what? What do you want me to say?_

 _Assumpta: I want you... What do you want?_

 _Peter: It's not that simple._

 _Assumpta: It is that simple._

 _Peter: Not from where I'm standing._

 _Assumpta: Oh, for God's sake, Peter, we have moved on._

 _Peter: I'm a Catholic priest._

 _Assumpta: Goes with the territory._

 _Peter: Cheap shot._

 _Assumpta: It's the truth. For you and me, it's the truth._

 _Peter: Assumpta?_

 _Assumpta: Yes? You know what you're going to go and do now? You're going to go and discuss this in a wooden box with a grown man in a frock and you won't talk to me!_

 _Peter: I will. I just need to think._

 _Assumpta: It's not what's in your head I need to hear._

"She is here, always here, maybe it was a mistake to come back," Peter choked lightly.


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN – THE FACTS OF LIFE

"Peter, can I ask you a question?" Anne asked taking a seat next to her new friend and pressing her back firmly against the brick.

"Yeah," Peter said putting his finger tips to the bridge of his nose.

"Are you still a priest?"

"No, not exactly, I was advised to leave," Peter glanced around awkwardly.

"So why didn't you marry?"

Peter glared back.

"Dated? Once? Kissed a girl? Oh come on Peter, she would have wanted you to move on."

Patrick fixed himself his own cup of coffee and shuffled into the living room. His hair was mussed, his t-shirt wrinkled, his plaid pattered flannel pants just slightly too long and covering his bare feet. He took a sip of the coffee and made a face. Not enough milk he decided and got ready to settle down in his favourite chair when he heard two voices.

"Anne it's hardly fair to ask me ..."

"I know Peter, I'm sorry, but if we are alike at all, she would have wanted you to move on."

Patrick recognized the voice and felt himself involuntarily blush. She was back, the beautiful American woman was back. Patrick shuffled himself into his room and quickly dug out a pair of jeans and a nice blue polo shirt. He tucked his cross and St. John's medal inside the collar and ran his hands under the water and through his hair. He found an old bottle of aftershave and lightly patted the side of his face. He knew he was being ridiculous but couldn't help it.

When Patrick opened the door the two of them were still sitting there, empty coffee mugs between then, Anne with her head on Peter's shoulder. Patrick had never met Peter before but he could aim to take a guess at who he was. Oddly enough Patrick hadn't made it down to the pub the night before, and instead met up with some friends in Cildargan which had made for a late night instead.

"Sorry, but do you have the owner's permission to squat here?"

"I thought Brian Quigley died years ago," Peter responded softly.

Anne quickly removed her head from Peter's shoulder and spun around to make eye contact with Patrick. Her face flushed lightly and she fought the urge to bury her head in Peter's shoulder.

"Now is the infamous Brian Quigley I have heard so much about?" Patrick smiled sitting down on Anne's side, "And Peter, heard a lot about you mate," he said extending a hand and reading Peter's face, "all good mate, all good."

"Everyone is gone these days so it seems," Peter commented again.

"Well everyone except Brendan," Anne said with a snort.

"Hey come on now, can't let one rotten apple spoil the bunch! Cheer up!"

"He never used to be a rotten apple," Peter sighed, "What happened to him?"

"Not been the same since Aisling moved, but he will be ok, you know Brendan, and I think all this bringing up the past is getting him down a bit."

"Him and me both," Peter sighed again.

Patrick turned to Anne, "And are you enjoying yourself?"

"A bit," Anne smirked.

"She was buried here right?" Peter blurted out gesturing to the cemetery behind the house and church.

"Assumpta?" responded Patrick quietly.

"Yes, Assumpta, may ... may I see her?"

"Of course."

"I'll wait here for you Peter," Anne said touching his shoulder gently.

Anne watched as Patrick led Peter to the grave site and hugged herself tightly as she watched Peter put his hand to his mouth and kneel to the ground. Patrick placed a hand on Peter's shoulder but he shrugged it away wiping tears from his eyes. Anne found herself running to his side and before she could stop herself. She flung her arms around him rocking this man she barely knew gently back and forth as his sobs flowed hard and loud through clenched teeth.

Peter was angry with himself for not acting sooner, with the church for lying to him, with Assumpta for dying, and it all came out in flood and after flood. Anne just held him and Patrick stood aside as the two grieved together without saying a word.


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN – SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME

When the trio arrived to Fitzgerald's Peter's face was still red and puffy, Anne looked rather shaken, and Patrick trailed in behind as though he were completely unaffected by the whole scene at the grave site. Anne shot him a sideways glance and wondered to herself how he could appear so together after what had just happened.

Hours had passed since the two left with their coffee cups. Now the pub was full of the regulars coming in for their pre-lunch pints. Aidan was behind the counter pouring a Guinness for Brendan with Liam and Donal sitting quietly in a corner.

As Peter entered the room Brendan took him over to where he was seated. Aidan came out from behind the bar and put his arms around Anne. She whispered something to him, he put his hands on her shoulders and squared her to face him. She nodded and the two of them went up the stairs to the private sitting room together. Patrick stood alone at the end of the bar. Suddenly there was no one there to pour a pint, no one to chat to, no one at all except himself standing there waiting on a pint of lager with no one to pour it.

Anne sat cuddled into Aidan's shoulder upstairs.

"Oh Aidan it was awful, he was so upset, and there was nothing anyone could do, I just sat there on the ground and rocked him back and forth."

"Well he loved her," Aidan said calmly.

"I have never seen anything like it."

"Maybe you have never been in love like that before."

"And you have?"

"I am giving it time to decide," Aidan smiled sheepishly before folding Anne into his arms and kissing her warmly.

Peter stared into his pint.

"You faced the ghost then?" Brendan asked.

"Yep."

"And how do you feel for it?"

Peter glared.

"I tried to tell you Peter, really I did."

"She is so much like her, being around her is like being with Assumpta all over again, it's like time stopped, well for one of us anyway," Peter sighed.

"Gave me quite a shock myself I'll tell ya."

"It's too late for me Brendan."

"It's never too late, Peter."

"No Brendan it is for me, I finally meet her again, I find my second chance and I am too late, I am too old and it is too late. I had my chance and I blew it, I should have been the one down in that cellar, I should have been the one who fixed that faulty fuse."

"Peter let's not go down that road."

Peter nodded.

"You can't say you think you are in love with Anne are you?" Brendan added at barely a whisper, "You know she is with our Aidan, and this will make things extremely complicated."

"No, no it's just; I wish she was Assumpta I guess."

"I know mate, I know."

Aidan and Anne slipped downstairs a few moments later, both rather flushed and smiling. Anne looked for Peter who was laughing at a general joke and seemed to be in better spirits. Anne finally felt like she was able to relax and slid in next to Patrick.

"Hiya," she smiled.

"Hi," Patrick forced a smile.

"Peter seems a little better now, I am glad."

"And you are you ok?"

"Sure," Anne smiled faintly.

Aidan put a glass of wine down in front of Anne and smiled again.

"Get that grin off your face," she whispered through clenched teeth.

"Never! Watch my girl will ya Father?"

"Do I need watching?"

"See how she is, I will leave her in your capable hands."

Patrick blushed.

Peter glanced down and raised a pint to Anne; she raised her wine glass in return and smiled.

"So what's the story with those two?" Peter asked Brendan gesturing with his thumb to Anne and Patrick.

"Mates I guess, I mean I will admit it is a little odd, but after living here as long as I have I guess I can come to accept just about anything."

"I would keep an eye on that one if I were you."

"Which one?"

"The priest," Peter hissed.

"Oh you can't be serious Peter!"

"He is in love with that girl, just look at him!"

"Peter, he is a young kid from Belfast, he is just struggling to make friends in a small village and ..." Brendan sighed, "Ok I get your point."

Peter nodded in response.

"So what do you propose we do about it then?"

"Keep them apart, I am doubting Anne has a clue, she seems to have a pretty strong attachment to Aidan, I'll speak with Patrick.

Brendan stared down to his pint, "here we go again."


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER TWELVE – ONLY SKIN DEEP

Anne had excused herself to change for dinner and a new cycle of customers had trickled in. Aidan ran about serving up plates of sandwiches and pints of Guinness. Patrick still sat alone and tried to occupy himself with a newspaper. Peter saw his opportunity and went for it.

"Hiya mate, thanks for, well back there this morning," Peter said softly rotating his frosty pint in his hands.

"Anytime, got to look after our own eh Father?"

"Not anymore, I mean I'm not Father Clifford anymore, haven't been for years."

"Oh really? I'm sorry I didn't know."

"Nothing to be sorry about, you saw today, you heard the stories, I fell in love, and well a priest can't be a good priest when he is in love with one of God's creations," there was a sternness in Peter's voice which made Patrick squirm uneasily.

"I am sure it was a difficult choice for you."

"It was, and I struggle every day, and if I could go back I should have never taken the posting in this village, it caused me nothing but heart ache for the rest of my life. Do you understand what I am saying?"

"If you are insinuating that I have been behaving inappropriately..."

"No, I hardly know you Patrick, but if you need to talk..." Peter didn't finish his sentence but only turned his hands palms up, "Now I think a walk down by the River Angel is in order," and with those parting words Peter slipped quietly from the room.

Peter stood with his back to the village and allowed the breeze from the River Angel waft over his entire body. He willed himself to let go of Assumpta but he was just too selfish, he still wanted part of her. He realized he didn't even have a picture, maybe they would let him make a copy of the one that hung in the pub. That would be a reasonable request wouldn't it?

"Peter!" a voice shouted from behind dragging Peter out of his trance.

Peter turned to see young Patrick running across the bridge.

"Peter! Do you have a minute?"

"Of course, do you want me to come up?"

"No stay where you are, I'll come down."

Patrick trotted over to Peter, breathlessly he tried to explain.

"Does that offer to talk still stand?"

"Well as it was offered only minutes ago so I would say so."

"I'm sorry I was short with you in the pub back there, you ..."

"Struck a nerve?"

"Yeah ... look its Anne."

"I know."

"I figured you did."

"I see a lot of myself you Patrick, so let me give you some advice. If you love her, and you want this to work, you need to get yourself sorted out and then you need to tell her. It's a risk but it's up to you if it is worth it. Don't leave it too late. I left it too late."

"Peter, how will I know I am making the right choice?"

"You won't."

"What would you have done had Assumpta lived?"

"Married her, taken her away to England, bought a house, had some kids, gone to football matches."

"And is that what she wanted?"

"I think we wanted the same things, but we'll never know now will we?"

"No, and you think I should tell Anne?"

"Do you want to tell Anne? ... Do you love her?"

"If I say I do then I am a bad priest, but if I say I don't then I feel like I am lying to myself."

"That's not a straight answer."

"It's not an easy question."

"Well if you are going to say anything to Anne you at least need to get it straight in your own head."

"It's not that simple."

"Does she love you?"

"When Aidan is in the room I don't exist."

Patrick sighed and stared back in the direction of Fitzgerald's, a frown forming at the corner of his mouth. Peter watched the young lad and knew when he arrived back in his room he would cancel his return ticket to Manchester, he was going to be needed here a bit longer.


	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN – MONEY, MONEY, MONEY

Aidan and Anne sat side by side in the sitting room upstairs. It was late and the pub had long closed. Anne stifled a yawn and swirled the wine around in her glass.

"Tired?" Aidan asked quietly.

"Yeah," Anne sighed, "Sometimes I wish I didn't have to go back. I am due for a summer holiday, maybe I will spend a few weeks down here next time."

"Well you'd be more than welcome."

"Are you sure you have room for me here? I mean it's already a bit cramped as it is."

"I thought you liked being close," Aidan smiled pulling Anne into his chest.

"Oh I do," Anne smiled and leaned up to kiss Aidan.

Peter awoke in his room down the hall and stared at the clock. It was just gone four in morning and Peter still was restless. He had a few drinks earlier in the night and retired to his room relatively early.

Aidan snored quietly on the sofa while Anne finished her wine glass and flicked through the TV channels. While Aidan had upgraded the pub to decent satellite TV there was still limited TV at 4 in the morning. Anne tried to move Aidan to the bedroom, but he only sank further into the sofa cushions. She smiled down at him, the poor lad was exhausted. He ran that pub single handily and tried to manage a new relationship as well, he deserved to sleep. Anne switched off the TV and quietly made her way to their room, as she opened the door she caught site of Peter sneaking down the stairs. Quietly she followed him down to the pub and stood at the foot of the stairs in the darkness while Peter poured himself a whiskey.

"Leave the money on the counter and Aidan will sort it in the morning," Anne said sternly crossing the room.

"I was going to pay for it, really I was."

"Who cares Peter, I was only teasing," Anne smiled and pulled out a wine glass for herself and filled it with a dark red, "You feeling alright?"

"Yeah, just can't sleep, you?"

"Same, too much drink, too much food, Aidan snoring," Anne chuckled.

"There are times I look at you and I see her you know," Peter said sadly as Anne leaned across from behind the bar exactly how Assumpta used to.

"I know Peter."

"Do you love Aidan?"

"That's a bit of an awkward question," Anne shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot as she stood behind the bar, "It's a bit early to tell don't you think?"

"What do you think about Patrick?"

"He's attractive enough, but he's a priest Peter."

"He's also a man."

"I am sure he is," Anne blushed a little and hoped the darkness would cover it.

"And if he weren't a priest?"

"Are you trying to tell me something?"

Patrick tossed and turned in his bed as his mind took him through the deep caverns of the dream world. He dreamt he was walking on the boardwalk in Glendalough. He stuffed his hands in his pockets; the air was crisp and the leaves had started to turn a reddish orange. No one was around as he toyed with a velvet covered box in his between his finger tips. A head of him a girl shorter than himself walked freely, a large scarf trickling down from her neck. They had both come to a spot where the boardwalk opened into a small gathering area. She laughed and called his name. He ran to her and grabbed her arm spinning her into his chest. He still couldn't see her face as her body clung to his. He backed her towards a large rock and sat her down. His face was focused on his hands as he bent to one knee. From his pocket he pulled out the velvet box, but when he went to open it, it turned into a dog collar. The girl tilted her face towards his and he saw tears streaming down Anne's cheeks.

Patrick, breathing heavily and sweating profusely, heaved himself up from his bed. Shaking he walked to the bathroom and poured himself a glass of water. Little did he know this would be one dream of many.

Peter stared back at Anne through the darkness. He wanted to warn her off Patrick but he felt he had meddled enough for the night.

"Maybe I should just go to bed, it will be daylight soon," Peter said awkwardly.

"Wait a minute; you know something, tell me!"

"I don't know if it will make any difference."

"Try me," Anne said grabbing Peter's arm.

"Patrick came to me, and he is struggling with a few things, and one of them is his feelings for you."

"Feelings for me?! Are you insane?!"

"He is very attracted to you Anne; you are a very pretty girl."

Anne smiled in the darkness.

"I don't mean to burden you with this, but maybe you should stay away for awhile?"

"Well that will be a hard thing to manage."

"Why?" Peter asked softly.

"Aidan asked me to move down here for a couple weeks during the summer holiday," Anne said tipping the remnants of her glass down her throat, "and I said yes!"

Before Peter could answer Anne had slipped back up the stairs again.


	14. Chapter 14

CHAPTER FOURTEEN – CHINESE WHISPERS

Anne returned to Dublin and once again things settled in the village of Ballyk as if they had never changed before. Peter however decided to stay on. A few days of living above the pub became more than he could handle, and eventually he settled into a holiday home just up the road from the church. Being unemployed had certain perks. There was no hurry to return to Manchester, and he had received a tidy sum from his mother's estate which he was able to invest wisely. All in all life had become very relaxed for Peter over the last 20 years.

Aidan kept in contact with Anne daily until the time would arrive for her to pay a return visit. He insisted she stay at the pub but when word got around that Peter found affordable holiday housing Anne changed her plans.

Patrick found his nightmares being less and less frequent and thought for sure this time he had beaten the ghost of his feelings. Peter attended Mass on Sundays and was a regular at the pub but Patrick found discussing anything personal with him difficult. He couldn't prove it but somehow he felt Peter had betrayed his confidence.

 _*2 WEEKS LATER*_

Aidan struggled with Anne's bags while she waltzed around the rooms throwing back the curtains. She smiled brightly at her new little cottage which would be all hers for the next few months. She was fortunate; her company would allow her to work from home for the summer season with limited trips to Dublin.

"Are you sure you need this much stuff?" Aidan asked wiping the sweat from his brow.

"I'm sure," Anne responded calmly.

"And you are sure you wouldn't be more comfortable with me at the pub?"

"Definitely sure," Anne smiled again.

"Peter's still here you know," Aidan said shuffling the last case across the floor.

"Really?"

"Yep, he's your neighbour in fact."

Anne smiled.

Patrick caught up with Aidan walking back towards the pub later that afternoon. Aidan shuffled and looked tired as he leaned against the side of small wall to light a quick cigarette. He blew out slowly and sighed.

"Rough day mate?" Patrick asked trotting up to Aidan's side.

"Yeah, moved Anne into the cottage down by Peter's place for the summer, girl brought enough luggage to last the rest of the year!"

"So she is just here for the summer then, so what is that a couple months?" Patrick asked awkwardly kicking at a pebble on the ground.

"Yeah a couple months, what's gotten into you? You alright? You are acting very strange."

"Yeah fine."

"Coming in for a pint?" Aidan asked gesturing towards the door with one hand and stubbing out his cigarette with the other.

"No, ah, maybe later? Not sure, I gotta run!" and with that parting word Patrick was gone.

Aidan shook his head in disbelief and walked into the pub.

Anne stretched and slowly made her way into her new kitchen and put the kettle on. She had finally unpacked and stored all her belongings, got a good night's rest and felt she could start the day fresh. She reached for a pair of jogging leggings and her trainers. Putting down her coffee mug she grabbed her sunglasses and keys from a rack near the door and started to jog happily down the road leading past the church and down the hill.

Anne had been running for a mile when she came across Patrick coming from the opposite direction returning from a jog of his own. She waved to him and smiled but Patrick kept his head down and ploughed on. Anne turned and sped after him pulling at his arm.

"Hey, Patrick! Stop!"

"Oh Anne sorry I didn't see you there."

"What do you mean didn't see me? We are the only two on the road! Aidan said you were acting strange, what is going on?"

"Nothing, just tired, not sleeping well," Patrick snapped.

"I did nothing to you; there is no need to be rude!"

Patrick turned and made eye contact with Anne, his eyes softened and he started to shake.

"I'm sorry I just have a lot on my mind."

"Sometimes it helps to talk about it," Anne said reaching forward and laying a hand on his arm.

"Best not," Patrick said shrugging away.

"Did I do something to offend you?"

Patrick slumped his shoulders and walked over to a nearby rock plopping his body down. Anne took a seat next to him, close, but not too close. Patrick stared at his feet and sighed again.

"You didn't do anything to offend me."

Rain started to trickle down in a mist from the sky.

"So why are you mad at me?"

"I'm not mad at you, I'm mad at myself."

"Mad at yourself for what?"

"You ever want something you can't have?"

"All the damn time, I think that is known as the human condition."

"What do you do about it?"

"Well I normally try to get it anyway," Anne laughed.

"This isn't a joke."

"Well in a way I wasn't joking. What is it you want anyway, that you feel you can't have?"

"I wish I could tell you, I really do."

Anne shifted a little closer to Patrick and for a moment she forgot he was a priest. She took his hand in hers and laced her fingers through his. She meant to comfort a friend as she rested her head on his shoulder. He braced her weight and for a second, just a split second forgot himself as well.

Patrick tilted Anne's face towards his own and with his thumb wiped away a few misty rain drops from her cheek. She didn't fight him, he smelled good. Like sweat and rain, his dark hair laid damp and framed his face.

"Patrick," Anne whispered.

"Please," he whispered back only centimetres from her face, "please just this once."

Anne reached up to touch the side of Patrick's face and guide it her own. For just one moment they cast aside everything they knew was right. Patrick kissed Anne with surprising expertise for someone who supposedly didn't have the most experience in this area. Anne's stomach flipped as she let him hold her in his arms.

"We need to stop," he whispered pulling away and placing his forehead against hers, "Someone will see us," he sighed.

"Right," she signed back, "Don't suppose you would want to come back to mine?"

"With Peter next door?"

"Right. Yours?"

"Anne."

"I know, I know. Is it too soon to ask what we are supposed to do now?"

"I can't pursue this."

"No, you don't want to," Anne suddenly found herself standing.

"This isn't my fault Anne, it is bigger than all of us."

"You know what Patrick, get stuffed!"

"Anne, please! ... please?"


	15. Chapter 15

CHAPTER FIFTEEN – AS HAPPY AS A TURKEY ON BOXING DAY

Anne ran the whole way back to her cottage and stood at the door fumbling with her keys. She was hot, tired, wet, and royally embarrassed. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a figure approach under a large black umbrella. Aidan walked up the road casually with a cup of coffee in his hand.

"Great," Anne muttered and pretended to smile.

"Good morning beautiful!" Aidan said cheerfully.

"Ah thanks Aidan, that for me?"

"It is indeed, out jogging?"

Anne nodded.

Patrick walked dejectedly up the hill and stood at the end of the street leading towards Anne's cottage. He mentally chastised himself for being such a complete and utter fool. He had no right to kiss her, no right to start something he couldn't finish, he knew he needed to apologize and soon. He placed his hand on the door knocker to his cottage when he heard voices inside. He recognized one to be Aidan's and the second was of course Anne's. Again he would be placed back in the shadows.

"You ok?" Aidan asked.

"Yeah, just a bit, well sticky," Anne laughed.

"Well I'd brought you a coffee from the pub if you want it."

"Oh gladly!"

Anne drank the steaming cup of Joe and looked around the room. Still lots to be done today. Her laptop sat open on a table. She knew at some point in time she would need to log in, work always awaited.

"You sure you're ok?"

"Yeah, just looking around all this to do, and then I have some work as well," Anne sighed.

"Well I can help you with this stuff you want?"

"No it's ok, best I do this on my own you know?"

"Well I'll see you in the pub later won't I?"

"No food in the house yet, so it is safe to say you are my only form of sustenance at the moment," Anne smirked.

"I'll ban you from Hendley's so," he smirked back, "Look I'll leave you to it, got a pub to run and all that but will see you tonight."

Aidan confidently kissed Anne on the cheek and walked down the road with a spring in his step.

Anne sat back and replayed the morning's activities. There had always been a bit of chemistry with Patrick form the moment they met but it couldn't ever go anywhere, not really. He was awfully young, like herself, and there were so many things both of them didn't know about the world. She took another sip of her coffee and turned on her computer. A flood of emails trickled the screen taking her attention in new directions.

Peter sat in his own home and his own kitchen table with his own cup of tea. He had seen Anne race after Patrick from his bedroom window. He worried at night about those two. He thought he had done the right thing in his time. He told Assumpta how he felt about her, but it had been too late. She was taken away from him right when they were to start their lives together, and it was still so unfair.

Peter had never formally resigned from the priesthood, but he had no desire to go back to it either. He had left his own life in limbo for far too long. Being back in this small village reminded him of so many things he wished he'd forgotten. Now with Anne next door he felt a certain gravitation for her. He was embarrassed that he wasn't sure of his feelings. Was she a friend? Was it sexual? Was it just that she was Assumpta's clone? Why could a man of his age not figure his life out?

Anne could see Peter pacing from her kitchen window. She looked over her shoulder at her laptop and decided she had earned a break. She pulled her spring jacket off a nearby hook and went to make a move next door. As she locked her own cottage behind her she was met with Brendan making his way up her sidewalk with a plastic case. This was certainly shaping up to be a day for visitors.


	16. Chapter 16

CHAPTER SIXTEEN – WHEN A CHILD IS BORN

"Hey there Brendan, what ya got there?"

"Well I got a call from one of Siobhan's old work colleagues in Cildargan. This guy said he found an abandoned Setter a few weeks ago, and she had pups. He was able to find homes for all but one and well …" Brendan trailed off as he lifted the small red ball of fluff from his box.

"Oh Brendan he's adorable!"

"He's yours if you want him."

"Oh Brendan, what would I do with a dog?"

"He'd be good company for you, good protection."

"What at that age? What am I supposed to do with him when I go back to Dublin?"

"Things have a way of working out," Brendan winked, "Keep him on apro and if you find its not working out I'll let my man know."

"Fair enough I suppose."

Anne set the little puppy in the grass and let him run around. The bond was instant, as he stuck to her like glue.

"Now I suppose a name would be next," she said talking to herself.

Peter stuck his head out from his front door.

"Was that Brendan I just saw?"

"It was yeah."

"What did he want?"

"To drop off a surprise, come see."

Peter grabbed a large grey sweater and pulled it over his head as he walked over to Anne's yard. The little setter saw Peter and took off in a dead bolt to his feet. He started jumping wildly encouraging Peter to bend down and scoop him up.

"Now who is this?"

"Well that's just it, we haven't decided on a name yet."

"Where did he come from?"

"Brendan brought him over, a friend of Siobhan's rang him up saying he had a puppy looking for a home."  
"And Brendan brought him over? Brendan, old grumpy, permanently in old man mood Brendan?"

"Yeah unreal isn't it."  
"But I thought you were heading back to Dublin at the end of the season."  
"I was, he said not to worry about it."

"Oh boy."

"What's the matter?" Anne asked taking the squirming little fur ball and setting him back on the ground to run around.

"Sounds to me like he's planning something, I'll have to get on to him later. You two have fun and let me know when you have settled on a name, Assumpta called hers Fionn."

"Sorry, hang on a minute Peter, Assumpta had a dog?"

"Not just a dog, THAT dog, same breed and everything. She had had him years when I met her, so he wasn't a pup but it was a Red Setter sure enough."  
"And why Finn? You American's just saying it I know you've got that wrong, if you call him Fionn make sure its spelled right, F-I-O-N-N, short for Fionn Mac Cool, named after an Irish warrior."

"I'll have to look him up."

"Do that." Peter smiled weakly as he started off down the lane.

"Fionn huh, here Fionn, here boy!" and Anne stood back amazed as the puppy ran towards her with little encouragement.


	17. Chapter 17

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN – CHANGING TIMES

Aidan's forehead glistened with sweat as he came out of the kitchen, plates heaving with fish and chips. After dropping them to the appropriate tables he then rushed back and finished pouring three pints of Guinness while four more customers walked into the pub and stood behind the other three who were still waiting to shout their drink orders.

Liam and Donal held up their usual corner, pints half empty scanning the room. It was full of tourists of all ages, shapes and sizes. Different languages could be heard from all directions and if you didn't have the ear for it, all the different banter could drive a person insane. Brendan causally walked in through the door leading to the Bed and Breakfast side and found he had to struggle through the throngs of people to get near the bar. A tourist abandoned their seat temporarily and turned around to find Brendan had occupied it. When they went to say something Brendan very cleverly hung his walking stick at his side and grinned. Dejected the tourist walked away.

A few minutes later Peter found himself in much the same position. Covering himself from a few near misses with rouge shoulders Peter sidled himself up to Brendan.

"Mad this, where did all these people come from?" Peter gasped getting shoved further into the corner.

"Tour bus!" Aidan shouted back, "And I'll be glad when the season's over."  
"Over," laughed Brendan, "It's on just starting now."  
"Don't think he wanted to hear that," chuckled Peter.

"Drink?"

"Yeah pint of lager."

"Got it," Aidan eavesdropped again and started to pour Peter's pint.

A roar erupted as Peter's order was taken ahead of now six people standing in line.

"Listen you lot, Parish Priest privileges here, you got a problem with me serving him before you, you can take it up with God you fecking vultures!" Aidan shouted.

Brendan and Peter both looked at each other wide eyed and then starting laughing.

"I haven't been a Parish Priest in years," Peter whispered.

"Well don't tell them or they'll have you hanged in any rate," Brendan laughed back.

"I've got a bone to pick with you Mr. Kearney," Peter commented taking a long sip off his cool pint.

"What have I done now?" Brendan sighed staring off to the TV in the distance.

"A dog Brendan? A Red Setter dog?"

"Yeah a mate of mine called today and said the little guy needed a home, what's it to do with you anyway?"

"It doesn't help that she looks just like Assumpta but then you brought her a Fionn as well to complete the picture. Are you trying to drive me to the nut house or what?"

"You are an adult educated man Peter, it is just a coincidence, and you can handle it. Besides she is in that cottage all on her own, I thought it would be good company for her."

"She has Aidan for that," Peter smiled.

"Ah look it, she has Aidan for other things other than company," he winked and then the two laughed.

"You too are in good form, either one of you be interested in giving me a hand here?" Aidan smiled charmingly, sweat dripping down his face.

"Everyone has a place in this world, and the key is recognizing a man's place, and mine is right here on this stool, but if you have a chance pour another Guinness for me will ya?"

"Thanks for that Brendan."

"I'm a bit rusty, but I'll give it a go!" Peter said lifting the bar gate.

"Ah cheers Peter, free pints for you all night."

"Now hang on!" Brendan shouted back.

"Missed your change mate, better luck next time," Peter laughed.

When the last order of fish and chips was dropped to the last table, and the last pint of Guinness was poured and topped off Aidan leaned against the bar and wiped his face with a tea towel. It was good for business, there was no denying that, but there would have to be days like this three hundred and sixty five days of the year for around five years before Fitzgerald's would be out of the red. When Aidan took on this pub it had owed a lot of creditors that wasn't disclosed on the transfer paperwork. He worked his tail off just to get ahead, and hadn't had a proper holiday since this all started. Now that he had someone in his life that peeked his interest he found himself questioning more and more if sticking this out was the right thing to do.

"Why don't you step outside for some air? I've got it here," Peter said putting his hand on Aidan's shoulder.

"You sure?"

"Yeah go on."

Aidan stepped outside and the air felt cold on his wet face. He lit a cigarette and took a long drag staring over the road at the bridge. He walked down the road and stood on the bridge. The rushing water left a soothing sound to the banter in the stuffy pub. He turned his back on the river and started back into Ballykissangel. It was a cute town but it wasn't home. At the end of the summer he could go back to Dublin with Anne. He'd almost resolved himself to the idea entirely when he heard a high pitched bark from behind.

"Hey stranger," Anne said leaning in for a kiss, "You alright? You're soaked!"

"Busy night."  
"I've got something that will cheer you up," Anne smiled scooping up the puppy and handing it to Aidan, "no one can be angry when they have a puppy in their arms."

Aidan stamped out his cigarette and took Fionn in his arms.

"He likes you," Anne smiled leaning forward and giving Fionn a scratch behind the ears.

"He's hard to not take an instant like to. Anne, will you be going back to Dublin at the end of the summer?"

"I'm not sure, I've been thinking about that a lot recently, it would be hard to go back and leave this little guy behind. Why do you ask?"

"Well this long distance thing can't work forever can it?"

"No I suppose not, you looking to get rid of me already?"

"Of course not," Aidan said taking her into a hug.

"Aidan, you stink, let's change your shirt."


	18. Chapter 18

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN – STARDUST IN YOUR EYES

Life with Fionn had started to change Anne. She found herself having to adapt to early mornings due to the small puppy's constant whining, and only she was to blame if she didn't get there in time and Fionn had left a rather large puddle, or worse, on her area rug. Getting up in her dressing gown, hair disheveled, a strong up of coffee in her hand, and thoughts of cursing Brendan filled her morning routine.

As the sun started to peak in the east there was Anne again out in her small patch of green yard with Fionn running around her feet happily. She stifled back a yawn and looked out at the village still peacefully asleep.

At the top of the hill in the little white house with the red door, Patrick finished a cup of strong tea and laced up his runners. He closed the door behind himself and started off on his normal jogging route. He passed by Anne's estate and raised a hand to wave as he passed. She shouted after him.

"Morning Father!"

"Anne," Patrick said quietly jogging over, "I have never seen you up at this time of the morning."  
"You can thank Devil Dog here, he won't sleep."  
"We used to have a Border Collie growing up and when he was a pup he was the same. We found putting a clock in his bed helped, like an old school tick tock clock. It has something to do with the ticking making the puppy believe it's the mother's heart. Do you have an old clock?"

"No, afraid I don't."

"I'd buy one, you don't look like you can go on for many more nights like this."

"That bad huh?"

"You've looked better," Patrick smiled and found himself blushing a little under the collar.

"Patrick, why haven't I seen you?"

"I've been around."

"No I know, just we don't talk anymore."  
"Anne you know I just can't."

"Yeah I know," she sighed, "Listen I better get him inside, and see if I can get a few more hours sleep, I'll talk to you later, or rather I won't."

Anne walked inside and shut the door behind her. She leaned against the counter and started to sob. Fionn ran to her feet, and pawed at her leg. She bent down to pat him, but he only stayed briefly before Fionn ran to Aidan who appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

"You ok?" Aidan asked putting his arms around Anne kissing her neck.

"Yeah fine," she smiled falsely.

"Was that Patrick's voice I heard earlier?"

"Mmm," Anne nodded.

"What did he want?"

"He was just out for his morning run."

"Oh right, God is that the time? Come on let's get back to bed for a couple of hours."


	19. Chapter 19

CHAPTER NINETEEN – THE FORTUNE IN MEN'S EYES

Brendan sat quietly in a pub in Cildargan. It was pouring with rain outside and he had found himself a comfortable spot in a dark pub with a newspaper and a pint of the black stuff. He placed an order for a ham and cheese toastie and settled into a comfortable position with his paper when a familiar voice rang out in the distance.

"Some things never change."

Brendan looked up to see Siobhan standing just a few feet away.

"What on earth are you doing here?!" Brendan smiled getting up to throw his arms around his old friend.

"Big race weekend, Avril called, some of the horses needed special attention."

"And Aisling is she with you?"

"She's at the stables with Avril racking up some serious apprentice hours."  
"I wish you two had told me you were coming."  
"Well I wanted to but Aisling wanted it to be a surprise, so I won't let on I saw you."

"Will you be over to Fitzgerald's later?"

"We will."

"Have you talked to anyone else?"

"No, why?"  
"Peter is back."  
"Peter Clifford?! You're joking, what brought him back here after all these years?"

"I did, well I wrote to him about an important matter, a relative of Assumpta's has turned up."  
Siobhan stood there with a puzzled looked on her face, "but I thought she had no family."  
"So did we and then your wan shows up."  
"Is she legit?"

"I'd say so, did you remember Tom Fitzgerald?"

"Assumpta's dad? Yeah, I mean I was pretty young when he died, at university I think, but sure I remember him."

"Do you remember if he had any brothers?"

"Yeah actually I do, I remember there being a couple at the funeral, they were living in America I think. They wanted no interest in the pub when it sold I remember, the solicitor took ages to round them up only for them to not want the place. That's why it took so long for it to go up for auction."

"Well all that aside, one of their kids has come forward. A young woman in her late twenties, and you won't believe the look of her."  
"Assumpta's twin?"  
"How did you …?"

"You have a look of pure shock on your face Brendan."

"Well just prepare yourself, she'll probably be in the pub tonight, she's dating the publican."  
"Aidan? You're joking, thought that scamp would never settled down."  
"He's taken with your wan, she has really put a change in him."

"We'll see if it sticks so," Siobhan smiled, "listen I'm off, my order's ready, I just came in to get a few sandwiches. I'll see you tonight and remember to act surprised."

"Anne you looked wrecked, you not getting any sleep?" Donal commented while coming to the bar to order another pint.

"It's that damn dog all it does it bark all night, but I went into town today and got a tick tock clock, supposed to be soothing so we'll give it a go tonight."

"Well best of luck to ya anyway."  
"Cheers." 

Aidan sauntered over to Anne and set down a fresh glass of wine.

"The clock will work, don't worry."

"Who's that with Brendan?"

"Right I wanted to introduce you, come on." 

Siobhan, Brendan, Aisling and Avril were happily chatting at a corner table. Aisling had grown to be a thinner version of mother. Slightly freckled with long locks of red hair she sat with a glass of white wine while Brendan and Siobhan stuck to their beers respectively and Avril to her club soda.

Avril seemed happy enough. After Father Sheehan left she went back to her weekly AA meetings and focused on her career. She had bred several champions over the last twenty years and as a result had placed herself in a place of financial security. She never married and had no children, and she never mentioned Father Sheehan anyone.

"Siobhan, Avril, Aisling, I'd like to introduce someone," Aidan interrupted.

"You must be Anne," Siobhan blurted out, "You're right Brendan, she's the spitting image of Assumpta. Anne come sit and join us for a drink."


	20. Chapter 20

CHAPTER TWENTY – I KNOW WHEN I'M NOT WANTED

"You mean you actually swapped a live sheep for a wooden ram in a box," Anne giggled draining the last drop of her wine and ordering another.

"Oh you bet, right pissed off Brian Quigley! I had to run off to Dublin for the day just to save face, oh and remember when Assumpta got us barred from the port-a-gavin out on the Dublin Road," Siobhan laughed touching Brendan lightly on the arm.

"Oh she was a fiery on that one. That's the same weekend she won the Publican's Race."

"And when Niamh got married," Brendan smiled.

"You know I only saw her the other week?"  
"Really?"

"Yeah I was over in London and stopped into a pub for a bit of lunch, and there she was. Wearing a business suit and typing frantically on a laptop. You know Kieran is at Cambridge now, and she divorced Sean there a few years ago."  
"Yeah I heard."  
"Tell me more about this Publican's Race, what is it anyway?" Anne interjected.

"Well it was a race between publicans, you hold trays of stout and race through the city."  
"This is the only pub in town was there any doubt she'd win?"

"That was when Quigley was her competitor," Brendan laughed, "but remember what Peter did?"  
And a roar of laughter erupted throughout the table, leaving Anne completely in the dark.

"Stuck the glasses down," said a quiet voice.

"That's right he stuck the glasses down," Siobhan laughed even harder.

Peter approached the table.

"Peter! My God it's been years!" she exclaimed jumping up to hug him.

A few hours passed, the pub quieted and the small party still kept going in the corner long into the night. Aidan had since locked the doors and joined the party of old friends laughing wildly.

"Do you really think Brian Quigley is dead?" Siobhan drunkenly slurred.

"I'd doubt it," Peter laughed.

"I heard someone saw him in Rio a few years ago. Said he has his name attached to some property development scheme."

"Now that's the Brian Quigley I remember," Brendan winked.

"Come on you guys, we have a race on tomorrow, and we all have to be up early," Avril spoke the voice of reason.

"Will I see you later?" Anne leaned over to Aidan.

"No I need to clean this lot up, you go on home, I'll see you tomorrow," he smiled kissing her in front of the group.

Peter grimaced slightly and looked down at the floor.

"Get a room the two of ya will you?" Brendan winked again and stumbled slightly upon standing.

"Whoa there, let's get you all home, I'll drive you, thanks again Aidan, let's go let this man get some sleep!" Avril spoke again, being quite the tolerant friend dealing with all the drunken ramblings.

"Peter will you be ok?" Siobhan asked as an afterthought.

"I'll get him home," Anne volunteered, "We're neighbours."  
"Right, and before I forget, here are tickets for the race this weekend, Queen of the Ladies is running at 2:30 PM, her odds are good. Aidan will we see you?"  
"No, no. No one to run the pub, but Anne you go and enjoy yourself, a day at the races will do you good."

"You sure?"

"Yeah of course go on!"

"Right then I will," Anne smiled.

"Give Peter the other ticket." Aidan suggested.

"Just don't go betting it all on a dog there father," Siobhan teased and with that they were out the door and out of sight.


	21. Chapter 21

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE – PERSONAL CALL

Peter sat quietly staring into his pint of lager. Thoughts racing through his mind this had been a joyous day with old friends, there was just one person missing. There would always be just that one person missing.

"Are you going to be alright to get him home?" Aidan asked taking Anne aside quietly.

"He's fine, he can walk I think, I'll just make sure he gets inside and doesn't hit his head on anything," she smiled playfully.

"I'm right here, I can hear you," Peter said with disgust.

"Right you are, come on Peter me ol' pal let's go," Aidan said hoisting him up off his seat and handing him over to Anne, "Call me when you get home ok?" he said closing the pub door behind him.

Aidan looked around the room at the mess. He was a tired and weighed the pros and cons of getting up first thing in the morning instead. With that thought he shut the lights off to the pub and climbed the wooden staircase to his room.

Peter stumbled to the front door of his cottage with Anne's arms around his waist. She opened the door and walked the two of them inside in the dark. His cottage was essentially the same layout as her own, she fiddled for the light switch. Peter went to the living room and plopped down in his large arm chair.

"I'm getting too old for this," he sighed.

"You're not, you're still a young man."  
"I don't feel young, you know it wasn't supposed to be like this."  
"What wasn't?"

"My life."  
"Ah well, sometimes we don't all get what we want you know?"  
"You sounded a lot like Assumpta there, you know if I close my eyes," Peter trailed off for a minute.

"How about a nice cuppa tea?" Anne said walking into the kitchen to put the kettle on.

She opened the press and found inside a bottle of paracetamol along with a few prescription bottles. She took two tablets of the pain killer and a glass of water to Peter.

"Here take these," she said gently, "for your head."

Peter gulped them back and rested his head against the back of the chair.

"I was going to leave for her, we were going to get married, have kids, have a life, grow old together and that's all gone now."  
"Did you talk about all this?"

"No but it's what we both wanted."  
"I see," Anne said filling the mugs of tea and crossing the room once more, "Did you ever think of dating again?"

"There will never be another Assumpta."  
"I'm not saying there will, but surely someone in this world would make you happy."  
"You sound like Father Mac, the country is full of Assumpta Fitzgeralds he used to say, I'd be happy to just meet one."  
"Peter, it's none of my business, but why did you stay a priest after she died?"  
"Nowhere else to go, nothing else to do I suppose."

"As simple as that?" she questioned.

"I guess, and then the doctor," Peter yawned, "when I was sick last spring," he yawned again, "not sure anyone would want to stick it out with me now anyway," and with those final words Peter nodded off to sleep in his chair.

Anne looked around the room and found a throw blanket over the back of the sofa. She tucked it in around Peter and collected all the glasses form the room. She refilled the water glass and sat it next to Peter, and then washed the remaining mugs and cups. Before she left she remembered all the other bottles in his medicine cabinet. She found a note pad and pencil next to the phone where she quickly jotted down the names of each type of pill. She tucked the paper into her pocket, closed the door to his cottage, and slipped quietly home.

She called Aidan as she locked her own door behind her, speaking to him briefly. She could tell he had been asleep awhile, then she herself walked up her own stairs to her own warm bed with Fionn trotting happily behind her.


	22. Chapter 22

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO – LOST SHEEP

The next morning Anne found herself in front of her laptop with the piece of paper from the night before. She had several different search tabs open to many different medical sites checking again and again the results of each drug and cross referencing it to the list of conditions. Only one seemed to make the most sense for all the medication Peter was taking. He had been diagnosed with Parkinson's. Judging by the strength of the medication it was very early onset, but from what Anne read the circumstances were still the same, there was no cure.

Still, from what she could tell he had years left before this would become a noticeable problem, and even so when you loved someone it didn't matter if they were sick or not. A knock at Anne's front door startled her and quickly she slammed the laptop shut ratting her cup of tea on the table.

She crossed the room to the door slowly her heart pounding as she moved the curtain from the kitchen window and could see it was only Peter.

"Morning neighbour, how's the head?" she smiled.

"Not great if I'm honest, woke up this morning still in the chair."

"Do you remember anything from last night?"

"Just that we were walking home? I am thinking I owe you an apology, or a thank you or both?"

"A thank you will do."

"I just hope I didn't do or say anything too embarrassing."

"Nothing other than the standard drunk rants, it's all safe with me anyway."

"Well that's a relief anyway."

"Tea? Coffee?"

"A cuppa coffee wouldn't go a miss, strong one if you can manage it."  
"Sure leave it with me and have a seat there."

"Working this morning?" Peter asked looking over Anne's laptop and stack of papers.

"Ah yeah and bit here and there," she said rushing to the pile, "Sorry confidential stuff, for work, I shouldn't have left this lying about."  
"Right well safe with me," Peter said pointing to himself, "Priest and all."  
"Yeah right," Anne laughed nervously as she removed the clutter.

She walked with the papers to her sitting room and organized them all on the coffee table to be used later. She struggled with the cord to her laptop in an attempt to find a charge, and didn't notice the piece of paper with Peter's medications had slipped to the floor. He caught site of it out of the corner of his eye and went to hand it over to her when he noticed the list of medications looking oddly familiar.

Embarrassed and furious he approached her.

"Have you been going through my things?!"

"What? No, I just…"

"Where did this come from then?"

"It's not what it looks like really."  
"Then what is it?"  
"When I was making tea I was looking for a pain killer in your kitchen I came across the bottles, and then last night before you went to sleep you said something about being sick and no one wanting you."

"So you took it upon yourself to dig through my belongings, you could have just asked me directly."

"And if I had would you have told me?"

"No!" Peter said very sternly.

"Well there you are then, maybe you can just accept the fact that people do care about you Peter!"  
"You need to learn to mind your own business!" Peter shouted back turning to leave.

"Living with Parkinson's isn't the end of the world," she shouted back at him through the open door.

Peter continued to cross the lawn, storming to his own cottage and slamming the door roughly behind him. Patrick stood at the edge of the footpath having just witnessed the entire scene. Anne didn't notice as she closed her own door behind her with a hard slam!


	23. Chapter 23

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE – THE WAITING GAME

"Excuse me," a thick deep Australian voice echoed in the distance, "Is this where I can check in?"

"Right yes, you must be Mr. Sheehan, I'll be with you in a minute just wait at the counter there I'll be with you in a minute," Aidan responded finishing serving the last punter without looking up.

Aidan took the money from his last customer and turned to face the man waiting at the B&B reception desk.

"Father Sheehan?!" Aidan exclaimed, "Well if this isn't shaping up to be a reunion my God!"

"Vincent please Aidan."

"Ah you will always be Father to me! It's been years! Why I haven't seen you since you sold over the deed to this place, that had to be what 10 years by now?"  
"Aidan, I mean it's just Vincent now no 'Father.'"

"Vincent, I'm sorry I didn't know."

"I imagine a few people don't know."

"Can I ask what happened?"

"Let's just say I broke too many rules," he smiled sheepishly.

"That seems to be a thing you have in common with quite a few in these parts," Aidan said slapping Vincent hard on the back, "Well you've come at the right time, Siobhan is here and Aisling, Brendan is in town and I have someone who you have to meet her name's Anne and she's lovely, and then there's …"

"Avril?"

"What?"

"Avril is here isn't she?"

"Ah well I don't know about that."  
"I think you do Aidan, you don't need to protect me."  
"It's not you I am protecting."

"I know, it's her, I'm not here to cause problems," Vincent frowned.

"Does she have any idea that you are here?"

"No."

"Vincent."

"I tried to write her a few times, she doesn't respond."  
"Well maybe that's because she doesn't want to see you."

"I have to try I love her."

Aidan pursed his lips together.

"I didn't come all this way to be judged," Vincent frowned again.

"And if she doesn't want you?"

"Then I'll go home."

"Back to Sydney?"

Vincent nodded.

"Best of luck to you then I suppose, here's your key, you're staying in room number 5 at the top of the stairs and to the left."

Vincent took his bags and carefully climbed the stairs. When he reached his room he shut the door behind him and listened through the door into the hallway to insure he wasn't followed. He opened his bag and took out a stack of letters all marked "return to sender" unopened. He tossed them on the bed and pulled out a much worn newspaper. He opened it to another worn page and smiled intently on the image inside. Again like with the other papers he placed this on the bed slightly more gently than he had done with the letters and lastly pulled out a slick racing form which he had obtained at the train station earlier that morning. And right there on the cover in bold as life colours was a picture of Avril standing in the winner circle with one of her horses.

Vincent stared down and talked a bit to the photo and a bit to himself.

"Aidan's right you know, I should have at least called, but that wouldn't have mattered to you would it? You wouldn't have taken my call," he sighed.

Vincent carefully packed everything away, straightened up briefly in the mirror and sauntered back down to the pub where he took a seat at the bar and order a Diet Coke.

Peter walked in shortly after for his usual pint of lager. He exchanged pleasantries with the man next to him detecting the Australian accent. Soon enough they were engrossed in conversation and would find they had more in common than they ever could have possibly imagined.


	24. Chapter 24

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR – PACK UP YOUR TROUBLES

Avril rushed around the yard checking all her horses. It was going to be a big day, race day had finally arrived and she barely slept all night. She was buzzing with anticipation of the day ahead. She had all her friends from Ballyk coming to watch the big race and she would be joining everyone in the box later. If her horse came in, which she had no doubt in her mind it would, they would all be invited to a celebratory dinner. This could possibly be the best day in her career. She met briefly with each jockey and owner before removing herself and getting changed.

Anne stood in front of the mirror and adjusted her fascinator. She wasn't any good with these things. Who dressed up like it was a wedding to go to a horse race? Everyone apparently. She had called a few friends in Dublin who gave her some pointers on how to dress and behave. Apparently there was quite an honor sitting in the trainer's box. She smoothed the wrinkles from her dress, applied her lipstick one last time, grabbed her clutch and clipped the lead on Fionn.

Anne briskly walked Fionn into the pub and through to the kitchen. Aidan had agreed to watch the puppy while she was out all day.

"Wow!" Aidan exclaimed, "You look amazing!"

"Really, is this alright?"

"It's perfect!"

"Thanks, I don't know why but I'm a bit nervous."  
"You'll have a great day, now you better get going, I see Peter has arranged a taxi."

"Ok, I wish you were coming."  
"Me too," Aidan said as he pulled her close and kissed her warmly.

Peter sat in the back of the taxi slowly losing his patience.

"Look give her a few more minutes and if she doesn't get in this car we are leaving without her," he said annoyingly to the driver.

Suddenly the door wrung open and Anne plopped down beside Peter.

"Sorry about that, I needed to drop Fionn into Aidan."  
"Well we are late now."

"Only by a few minutes, its fine, what are you all cranky about anyway?"

"Did you tell anyone?" Peter whispered.

"About what?"

"About the other night."  
"Peter do you really think I would use information like that against you in some way?"

"I just want to know what people know so I can prepare myself."  
"Well I haven't told a soul if that is what you are worried about, and I have no intent of doing so, but you will need to tell them eventually."  
"And I will, in MY own time, ok?"

"Ok."  
"OK!"

Vincent walked around the grand concourse of the race track. The place was a buzz with activity, this being one of the biggest races of the year. He passed the marque and watched as others indulged in lager and champagne. He looked at the prices on the wall and weighed the thought of just one drink. This was a constant battle in Vincent's mind. Just have the one drink, it won't hurt anyone, no one has to know, just one sip, one drop and then you can throw it away. He reached into his pocket and found his AA sobriety chip. He wove the chip in and out of his fingers and continued along until he found a food truck.

A hot dog later and a sack of chips, Vincent handed his ticket to the usher and walked into the grandstand. He knew Avril would be in a box, but instead he took his seat on the bleachers and settled in for a long day.

At the same time Peter and Anne joined Siobhan and Aisling in the trainer's box. Brendan was placing an order for a Guinness as the rest of the group sipped prosecco while waiting on Avril.

"Where is she anyway? She said she'd be here by now," said Siobhan.

"Maybe something is wrong with one of the horses?" questioned Aisling.

"Maybe I should call her, if something is wrong they may need us," said Siobhan.

"Wait!" shouted Anne, "Does anyone know what colour dress Avril is wearing?"  
"Blue I think why?" asked Siobhan.

"Isn't that her their sitting in the bleachers?" questioned Anne.

"Yeah that's her what is she doing down there?"  
"I don't know but there is that Aussie chap from the bar last night."

Siobhan got a sick look on her face. Brendan joined their group from behind.

"What's wrong Siobhan, you look almost green?" asked Brendan.

"What Aussie chap are you talking about Peter?" Siobhan asked practically ignoring Brendan.

"That guy there, I think he said his name is Vincent, why? What's wrong?"

"Shit," whispered Brendan.

"Will someone tell us what is going on?" asked Anne.

"I suppose we should tell you, sounds like it's all going to come out in the open anyway," sighed Brendan.

"What is?"

"You weren't the only priest we lost because he fell in love."  
"Vincent?" Peter pointed in disbelief.

"Father Sheehan back then, fell in love with Avril, it almost destroyed their lives."  
"What is it with priests and Ballyk?" Anne said shockingly.

Peter glanced a dirty look in her direction.

"Does Avril know?" Peter asked.

"I'd doubt it," said Siobhan.

"Sounds like you better start from the beginning Brendan," Peter said throwing back the remainder of his drink, "and I'll take another one of these if anyone is going.


	25. Chapter 25

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE – THE RECKONING

"Someone needs to stop them!" exclaimed Anne.

"He'll ruin Avril's big day," said Aisling.

"Peter he's your friend, go down there and do something," said Brendan.

Peter stood looking out at the grandstand from their box seats and took a final gulp from his second glass of bubbly.

"No."  
"No?" questioned Brendan.

"That's right, no," said Peter firmly.

"Are you insane?" Anne blurted out.

"No, for the first time in my life I feel like I am thinking clearly. How many of you have tried to run from your problems instead of just facing them head on? We're adults, some of us a lot older than others and it's time to just let fate take its course. Quit acting as this opposing force for other people's benefit. He came all this way to see her, so let him see her, Avril is a grown up she'll be fine. Maybe if I had been stronger when it counted Assumpta would still be alive," and with that Peter spun on his heel and left the room, Anne trailing after him.

"Peter's right, leave them be," said Brendan in an all knowing tone, leaving the four of them to wait pressed up against the glass.

In the grandstand Avril stood with her program in one hand and a grip on her fascinator in the other. The wind had started to pick up and there was concern this would affect the track conditions. She watched the horses enter the gate and noticed they seemed agitated. This could work to her advantage, an anxious horse was apt to run faster. She gripped her program nervously and awaited the starter's orders.

Vincent had scanned the crowd below, expecting Avril to either be down on the rail or up in the box. He was unsure after all these years if he would even recognize her. For one brief moment the sun broke through the clouds and a glimmer of blue caught his eye forcing him to gaze right. There she was, nervously gripping a piece of paper, her eyes trained on the horses below. For a moment Vincent had to stop and take a breath, he wasn't sure how long he had been standing there without breathing. As the race began he inched his way closer to Avril.

Peter stood out in the hallway from the box and eyed the beer kiosk carefully. He fiddled around in his pocket looking for a few spare Euro coin to spend. He started his walk to the counter when Anne caught up and grabbed his elbow.

"Peter didn't you hear me? I have been shouting for you!"  
"Just leave me alone."  
"You're right you know."  
Peter stopped dead in his tracks.

"People need to stop interfering in other people's lives for what they think is best," she said sternly.

"What are you getting at Anne?"

"I don't know if you accepting your fate would have kept Assumpta alive, but I do know that you have been meddling in other people's lives."  
"I really have no idea what you are on about."  
"I'd ask Patrick how he feels about it."  
"Anne this is different."

Peter turned to her and took her by the arms quietly into the corner. He looked around himself and spoke in barely a whisper.

"Anne, you don't know what you are getting into here, I don't want to see you hurt."  
"Patrick is not going to hurt me."  
"Anne, just listen to me please, Patrick is very confused of his feelings, what if he doesn't chose you, then what?"

"Peter, I …"  
"Just think about it," Peter said letting go and going back to the beer kiosk.

Anne quite shaken by the conversation walked away and started to make her journey back to Ballykissangel alone.


	26. Chapter 26

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX – AMONGST FRIENDS

Avril stood eyes ahead as her horse came around the corner well into the lead. She watched as he crossed the finish line several lengths ahead of everyone else. A roar erupted from all around and several people went up to her to congratulate her. Vincent found himself pushed aside.

"Thanks, thank you everyone, that's just one race though, come back to me at the end of the day," she smiled making her excuses to leave.

Now that the first race was a victory Avril felt she could relax a little. She walked through the stands and down into the grand concourse for an orange juice. Vincent just a few steps behind her, he watched as she ordered and followed her as she found a bench in the sun. He sat down at the opposite end of the bench and stared straight ahead, he looked down and his hands were shaking. He took a deep breath and composed himself to speak.

"Your horse did well."

Avril froze and her eyes widened. Could it be? After all these years could it really be him? Her cup of orange juice shook in her hands.

"Go away," she whispered and closed her eyes tightly.

"Avril," Vincent whispered and slid a little closer.

"You're not here and I want you to go away," she said again shaking as tears rolled down her face.

"Avril, I'm not a priest anymore. Avril, I've left."  
"I don't believe you."  
"I'm so sorry for everything I put you through, if I could take it all back … Avril it was always you, please Avril just look at me."

She shook her head as more tears fell from her eyes rolling down her dress leaving dark blue water trails.

Vincent took her hands in his.

"I can't turn back the clock, and I know what I did was unforgivable. I've come all this way, when things ended I went back to Sydney and filed for my leaving papers. These things take time they only just came through this week, and as soon as I was free I was on the first plane to see you I swear."  
"You couldn't have let me know?"  
"I wrote, loads of times, all the letters were returned to sender."  
"I never got any letters."  
"You must have!"  
"Vincent I NEVER got ANY letters from you, I swear!" she said turning to face him.

They eyes met for the first time in almost 15 years.

"You really wrote?" she asked shyly.

"Almost every day, I have the letters, I mean not with me but I packed them," he rambled.

"I'd like to read them," she smiled weakly.

"Gladly," he smiled back.

"I've missed you," Avril whispered as she tucked a lock of hair behind Vincent's ears.

"You have no idea," Vincent smiled as he let go of all nervousness and enveloped Avril in a passionate kiss.


	27. Chapter 27

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN – ALL BAR ONE

Anne sat in Fitzgerald's nursing a wine and still wearing her outfit from the races.

"Everything ok?" Aidan asked putting his arm around her and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

The pub was quiet, everyone was the races. Fionn was in the main part of the pub chewing on a rag bone in front of the fireplace. Aidan had insisted he'd been a good boy all day.

"I'm fine just had a disagreement with Peter."

"Anything you want to talk about?"

"Not really but I'll have another glass of wine," she smiled.

"You got it! Hey, so I've had an idea, we haven't been alone in ages, what would you think about taking a little mini break and just getting out of here for a while."

"Where are you thinking?"

"The UK, go to Wales for a bit? Just a few days. Think about it at least?"

"Who will watch Fionn?"

"I'll ask around leave it with me."

"When do we leave?" Anne smiled.

A few hours later the rest of the race group arrived at the pub. A few bottles of bubbly in, everyone was cheerful at the new announcement. Avril and Vincent were to be married! Anne looked up from her glass of wine as Peter walked into the pub.

"Aidan!" Anne shouted, "Where's Fionn's leash I think he's due to for his walk."  
"Here it is, will you be back?"

"Not sure, thanks," she said kissing him goodbye.

Anne breezed past Peter without saying a word. Leash clipped on Fionn she took him for a walk. Anne sat by the rocks on the river, the wind whipping through her hair, she leaned back and let the sun warm her face. Fionn splashed about in the water and ran around with a stick in his mouth. Peter approached the pair and sat silently down beside them.

"Life's complicated," he said.

"Mm hmm," she murmured.

"I'm sorry."  
"Mm hmm."

"I just want to protect you."  
"I'm not Assumpta."  
"That's hard to come to grips with sometimes."  
"I know," she sighed, "so what do we do about it?"  
"I wish I knew."  
"You going to pray on it," Anne smiled.

"I think those days are behind me."  
"A priest whose lost his faith?"

"Maybe."

"Some news about Avril and Vincent."

"Yeah crazy isn't it?"

"Just goes to show some people get their happy ending," Anne smiled.

"Yeah," Peter frowned.

"We should go toast the happy couple."  
"Yeah we should."

"Do you think there will be a wedding in Ballyk? I love a good Irish wedding."  
"It doesn't sound like it," Peter said standing up slowly and reaching for Anne's hand.

Anne stood looking puzzled.

"That's right you weren't there. They are both going to Sydney at the end of the week."  
"Why so soon?"  
"Why not?" Peter smiled, "So many years wasted, making up for lost time." 


	28. Chapter 28

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT – HE HEALETH THE SICK

"Hello?" Anne said huskily answering the phone trying not to wake Aidan and Fionn who was asleep at the end of the bed, "What time is it? It's what? Why can't this wait until morning? No ok, ok I'm up I'll be right over." 

Anne slid from the bed, careful not to wake anyone and took her dressing gown from the hook on the back of the door. She crept out of the house, the dew still heavy on the lawn and slipped into Peter's cottage next door.

"Cup of coffee?" he offered.

"This better be good and make it a strong one," she said resting her head in her hands then moving her fingers through her red curls, she then tilted her head back and stared at the ceiling.

"It's good I promise it's good."  
"Well spill it," Anne said hastily drinking the caffeine filled goodness.

"I have a tremor," Peter said anxiously.

"And this is good news?" Anne questioned through a yawn.

"It's very good news, it means I qualify for a surgery that will prolong the symptoms for a few more years, but I had to develop the tremor first."

"Right, and you had to wake me up at five in the morning to tell me this because?"  
"Because I am going to need someone to go with me to Dublin and make sure I get home ok."

"And that someone is me."  
"You are the only one here that knows of my condition."

"Peter shouldn't you have family here or something? I mean I am honoured but this is kind of a big deal, it is literally brain surgery someone closer to you should be here or at least know about it."

"My mom died years ago and she was the last family I had left, it's just been me for a while now and no one in Manchester knows about my condition."

"Right," Anne sighed.

"You don't have to come if you don't want to, they just recommended that I have someone there in case something happens. And also I'll be pretty groggy and someone will need to ensure I can get home ok."

"Did I say I wouldn't do it?"  
"No."

"Right then."  
"So you will?"

"Under one condition."  
"Name it, anything!"  
"We have to tell Aidan."  
"Why?!"  
"Because someone is going to need to look after Fionn while I am away, and he will ask too many questions. Besides he is practically living with me and asleep in my bed right now and if he wakes up he is going to want to know where his girlfriend went!"

"And you think we can trust him?"

"I am thinking you don't have a choice."


	29. Chapter 29

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE – BREAD AND WATER

Anne and Aidan stood in Anne's kitchen early that morning. She had a small purple wheelie case at her side.

"If it is just for one night why are you bringing the case?" he asked impatiently.

"Peter's doctor said if he is a little too groggy or takes too long coming out from the aesthetic he may need to stay up there the night, and it's not really feasible for me to come back here just to go back up again to collect him."

Aidan looked worried.  
"I'll call you, if anything comes up or changes I promise to ring."

"I just don't see why someone else can't do this for him, you're not Assumpta."

"I know," she sighed, "but I, we, are the only ones he can trust right now, and he has no family left to speak of."  
"OK ok, either way please call me?"  
"Deal."

"I love you."

Anne stepped back and looked at Aidan. He had never said he loved her before and after saying it just briefly he realized it himself. He took Anne in his arms and kissed her warmly before she could say anything and took her case to the door.

"Looks like the taxi is waiting, I won't keep you."  
"Not a word now," Anne smiled, "To anyone."  
"I know I know."

Anne slid into the taxi next to Peter smiling as they drove on to the train station.

"Come on, what's eating you? You've had that grin on your face since we left Ballyk," Peter asked as they settled into their seats on Irish Rail.

"Nothing, I'm fine really."  
"Come on, tell me."  
"Ok. Aidan said he loved me this morning for the first time," she smiled practically bursting.

"That's very good news."

"I know!"

"Did you say it back?"  
"Um no."  
"No?!"

"It was all rather rushed."

"I see."  
"What?"

"Nothing, that's great news Anne. Really it is." 

Anne and Peter entered the doctor's clinic and waited patiently for his name to be called. Peter was taken into the consultation room, and his doctor asked if Mr. Clifford's daughter would like to join them. Anne chuckled a little, nodded and followed them into the room.

"The procedure is going to be relatively straight forward and outpatient. We drill a small hole into the skull where we put in a probe. We cut off the nerve that has control of the tremor and you will be right as rain. Providing you wake up and feel well enough you can go home today, but if you want to stay over we have a room in the hospital just on standby," the doctor explained.

Peter squeezed Anne's hand.

"Right Mr. Clifford that is all there is to it basically, do you have any questions?"

"No all good," Peter smiled.

"I'll see you when you get done," Anne said forcing a smile and stifling a few tears.

"It's ok Miss Clifford your Dad will be just fine."

A few hours went by before anyone came to speak to Anne. She waited patiently playing games on her phone and flipping through old and worn magazines when the doctor finally arrived.

"Miss Clifford?"

"Yes," Anne smiled.

"Your father has come through the procedure just fine, he is very tired though and has requested to stay on the night if that is ok with you?"  
"Fine, just fine, may I see him now?"  
"Of course, this way." 

The doctor led Anne into a recovery room where Peter sat up, looking tired but saying he overall felt well.

"I'm sorry you'll be up here another night," Peter whispered.

"Hey its fine! This is why we packed bags remember? I rang a friend I will stay with her tonight and come back in the morning, no big deal, besides this gives me loads of time to catch up with old friends."

Anne checked the text on her phone, it had turned out her friend's weren't in town but she still had the let of their apartment. She faked a smile at the message, kissed Peter on the forehead and took their cases to her accommodation. The apartment was basic at best but the bed was comfortable and now that everyone was sorted in their own way she slipped on her coat and headed out the door in search of wine.


	30. Chapter 30

CHAPTER THIRTY – PAR FOR THE COURSE

Anne sat patiently at the bar waiting for the barman to come take her order. She glanced over the menu. All typical Irish pub food, none of it sounding overly appealing. She settled on a ham and cheese toastie and a side of chips. She took another drink from her wine glass and pulled a book out from her purse. She started to read as she waited for her food to arrive.

Peter laid in bed dozing in and out and watching TV. He had a semi private room, and the curtain pulled around him for further privacy. His earphones were half on when he heard someone being wheeled into the room next to him.

"Oh just leave me alone!" he heard a familiar voice say, "Its congestive heart failure not a heart attack, I'll die with or without all these bloody machines!"

"Now Father MacAnally, calm yourself," said the sister.

"Father Mac?" Peter thought, "No can't be."  
"Sister?" Peter called, "Sister are you there?"

The nurse walked around the curtain, "Yes Mr. Clifford is it? Do you need something?"

"Is that Father MacAnnally there next door?"

"You know him?"  
"Let's just say we used to work together."  
"Really?"  
"Mmm, I don't suppose he'd want company?"  
"As I live and breathe if it's not Father Clifford I hear," the voice echoed from the other side of the curtain.

"Shall I draw the curtains?" the sister asked.

"I don't see any reason why not," said Father Mac, "Maybe the shock of seeing an old friend will kill me sooner," he mocked.

Anne took a bite from her toastie and sat engrossed in her book. The bar was slowly filling up with punters and she found herself getting squashed in around her meal. A man in a light blue button up shirt and jeans took a seat next to her. She glanced over out of the corner of her eye but didn't make eye contact. The smell of his cologne wafted in her direction.

"A pint of Carlsburg there when you have a chance," the man said, his voice catching Anne's attention.

She glanced over and smiled.

"Patrick what on earth are you doing here?"

"Of all the gin joints in all the world eh?"  
"Something like that," Anne smiled putting away her book.

"Conference meeting, I came up for the next few days, I'll be back in Ballyk by Sunday, not that I expected to see you."  
Anne laughed and shook her head.

"So why are you here? Father Mac asked getting right to the point.

"Brain surgery."  
"Dear lord, you ok?"  
"I've been better."  
"Tumor?"  
"Parkinson's."  
"I'm sorry Peter," Father Mac said with a hint of sincerity.

"Early stages, I'll be ok. You?"  
"I'm dying."  
"Don't be dramatic."  
"I'm not, congenital heart failure, Doc give me around six months."

"I'm sorry Father."  
"I'm not, I've had a good life, had fun in my own way, no regrets," Father Mac said with a nod of the head and took a drink from his plastic cup of water.

"Yeah I remember," Peter said with a smirk.

"Aren't there hospitals that could have treated you in England? Ireland isn't exactly known for being the home of modern medicine," Father Mac coughed.

"Shall I get the sister?"  
"Don't change the subject Mr. Clifford!"

"I'm here on personal business."  
"Assumpta Fitzgerald."  
"How did you…?"

"People talk."

"Right so then you know about Anne?"

"I do, and if I had to guess Brendan called you over here to have a look at her?"  
"You're deductive skills are still spot on."  
"I may be old but I'm not senile."

"I can see that."  
"So what do you think?"

"I think your parish may have another problem on its hands."  
"Anne and Patrick, I'm already aware. I won't make the same mistake again," he said leaving Peter with a puzzled look in response.


	31. Chapter 31

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE – THE ODD COUPLE

Anne walked with Patrick as far as her flat. He leaned against her door frame while she searched for her keys.

"Damn it, where are they? I didn't leave them in the pub did I?" Anne said more to herself than Patrick.

Patrick stepped forward and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Can you just forget about the keys for a minute?" he whispered.

Anne looked up to meet his gaze and he leaned in to kiss her. She abandoned her search for her keys and wrapped her arms around the priest. His hands slipped around her waist and made contact with her bare skin. She untucked his shirt and ran her nails along his back. He pulled his face away from hers and took a few deep breathes.

"Don't stop," he breathed heavily.

"I think we should take this upstairs."

Patrick nodded.

"Yeah?"

He nodded again.

"Ok," she smiled.

Anne woke up as dawn was breaking. She felt around the bed but couldn't see Patrick anywhere. She heard a disturbance in the kitchen. She pulled a t shirt over her head and walked into the kitchen where she found Patrick lacing his shoes.

"Hey," she smiled.

"Hi," he said looking down at his shoes.

"Last night was fun," she smiled reaching out to touch his hair.

He pulled harshly away from her.

"Patrick, you ok?" she said gently.

"Fine," he said shortly.

"About last night," she started.

"That can never happen again."

"Ok."  
"I mean it Anne!"

"Ok."  
"If anyone finds out about this I'm done!" he shouted.

Anne sat there feeling dirty and used.

"Get out," she said."

"I'll have to tell my bishop about this," he rambled.

"Get out!" she shouted.

"They'll send me away" he said again only thinking of himself.

"I said GET OUT!" she screamed storming to him forcefully shoving him out the door. 


	32. Chapter 32

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO – TURF

Anne walked to the hospital to collect Peter who was ready to be discharged. When she arrived he was already in the waiting room with his case packed. She faked a smile a she entered and the room and enquired about his overall wellbeing. The two of them took a taxi to the train station where Anne bought a bottle of wine and settled into her seat.

"It not even eleven in the morning," Peter commented as she poured her first glass.

"Mmm," she mumbled.

"Rough night?"

"Something like that."  
"You'll never guess the night I had …"

Anne gazed out the window as Peter recounted his conversation with Father Mac. Anne let the words wash over her giving Peter the appropriate nod and smile. She texted Aidan to let him know she was on her way home and asked about Fionn.

"So how was your night? Anne? Anne?"  
"Huh?"  
"I asked how your night was. Do anything exciting?"

Anne looked up and her eyes met Peter's, he could see she had been crying. Peter stood up and moved to her side of the table. He put his arms around her and brought her to his chest.

"I've ruined my life," she sobbed.

"What ever happened couldn't have been that bad."

She looked up at him.

"Come on you can tell me."

"I really don't think I can."

"You will feel better to talk about." 

Anne weighed the consequences of whether or not she should tell Peter.

"You have to promise not to get involved," she said quietly. If I tell you what happened you must allow me to sort it out on my own."

"That seems fair."

"I slept with someone last night."

"And you are worried because you cheated on Aidan? Anne people do make mistakes, I mean this doesn't mean that what you did is ok, but you're not a monster."

"And what if this wasn't just a typical affair?"

"What do you mean not typical?" Peter asked starting to fear the words which were to come next.

"I slept with Patrick," Anne sobbed.

"Oh Anne."

"It was good, I mean really good, I mean incredible. I have never felt so connected to one person, and then …"

"Go on?"

"This morning, he freaked out and just treated me like trash. I thought, oh God I feel so stupid, I just thought…"

"You thought he was in love with you."  
"Well yes," she cried.

"Anne we talked about all this."

"No you shouted at me about all this."

"I was worried I didn't want to see you get hurt."

"So what do I do now?"  
"I hate to say it but you are going to have to forget this ever happened, and if anyone asks

you about it you are going to have to strongly deny it. In fact it might be best that we never speak of it again either."

"Patrick thinks I ruined his life."  
"Did he say that to you?"

"Not in so many words but…"  
"Look what you have done will be life changing for him, but one of the things I have

learned about all this is that it takes two parties to…"

"Have sex."

"Well yes."

"I just want to go home," she yawned.

"Yeah," Peter sighed looking out the window, "you think that now." 


	33. Chapter 33

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE – IT'S A FAMILY AFFAIR

Anne woke as the train pulled into the station. There would be a small wait before they could secure a taxi. Peter motioned to a pub across the road in Cildargan where the two of them went in for a sandwich and a coffee.

It felt good to be back in the country. The air was crisp and the sun was shining. Judging by the series of texts Aidan couldn't wait to have Anne home, and she was looking forward to returning to the normalcy of her quiet country life in Ballyk.

Peter absently stirred some milk into his coffee and took the motions of one who was enjoying people watching. Inside his head was a mess. He thought about his conversation the night before with the frail and very ill Father Mac. He had said something about not making that mistake again. He wondered what it all meant.

After Peter left the priesthood and returned to England he had met with his own parish priest. He explained he wanted to leave but had no real plans. He explained in detail what had happened in Ballyk and after a long chat the parish priest thought it would be best if Peter just took a sabbatical. He was still ordained, but wouldn't be called into service. It worked fine as long as he never fell in love or married again.

Peter really beat himself up about his life choices, and it was then that his parish priest reminded him that he was a man and he wasn't perfect. Peter had scoffed at the idea at the time remembering Father Mac had felt he was perfect and he hadn't been amused at prejudices he had suffered at Father Mac's hand. Much of which he had assumed was because he was English. Later Peter would discover through the rumor mill that a young lady had given birth to a child who had come to the village looking for her father. It was heavily speculated, but not proven, that Father Mac may have been this young girl's father. Whether or not he told her, or if she was able to figure it out was still a mystery.

Peter again thought back to that comment made in the hospital before. If Father Mac had had an indiscretion, and then Peter, and then Vincent, was it possible he wouldn't be in a position to come down quite as hard on Patrick? Was it possible somewhere in there Father Mac might give Patrick a release from his duties to find love with Anne?

Anne had resolved to putting the activities of the previous day behind her. They would never be spoken of again and it was best to never think of them again either. As far as she was concerned none of these things actually happened.

Peter was instructed to rest when they arrived home. Anne saw him safely inside and helped him to his big arm chair. She put his medications, a glass of water, and the TV remote beside him. He had had a long day and it was starting to show under his eyes.

"Why don't you get some sleep and you let me know if you need anything ok?" Anne confirmed before leaving.

"Anne?"

"Yes?"  
"Thank you."  
"Of course."  
"No I really mean it, I couldn't have done any of this without you. Assumpta would be very proud to call you a relation," he said with tears in his eyes.

Anne smiled and nodded silently.

She walked down the road towards the pub taking her time. The sun felt good on her skin, and overall it was shaping up to be a nice day in spite of all the rain from the week prior. A few locals were having pints outside on the blue bench in front of Fitzgerald's. She opened up the door to walk in the B&B entrance and was immediately welcomed by Fionn who jumped excitedly at her feet. She scooped him up her arms.

"I've missed you too!" she said holding him up to her face and he coated her cheeks in puppy kisses, "Now let's go find Dad!"


	34. Chapter 34

CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR – ROCK BOTTOM

"Aidan I'm a manager not an Accountant," Anne said as she poured over the ledger stuffed with papers in every direction.

"If you can just help me log it into this new system I'm terrible with computers."

Anne sighed and took a look through everything putting papers in piles by dates and separating the ledger by months. This went back for several years since Aidan owned the bar, and it appeared he owed everyone money. And to make matters worse he had been running tabs for almost everyone in town, some of them going back years, thank you Mr. Brendan Kearney. She would have to encourage Aidan to have a word with him later.

Anne entered in the last detail and hit save, it was far worse that she thought. She looked out through the kitchen into the pub and past through to the window outside. Aidan had upgraded his Sky service to get all the football matches for the World Cup. That was going to cost another pretty penny he didn't have. The summer would be coming to a close soon, and that meant Anne would have to make a very important decision regarding her residency in Ballyk. Things being as bad as they were she wondered if it would take much convincing for Aidan to join her in Dublin.

Patrick sat quietly in the waiting room outside of Father Mac's office. He counted the floor boards and then the nail in each board. He counted the windows and then the pane of glass in each one. Then he gazed at the clock on the wall and fell disappointed as only a few seconds had passed.

"Father, I want to go on retreat," Patrick begged Father Mac who sat back in his leather arm chair with a strong cup of tea.

"A retreat is usually the answer to a question of faith, are you having a doubt in faith Father?"

"I've sinned."  
"I figured."  
"This is not time to joke, I've engaged in a mortal sin."  
"You slept with the American woman," Father Mac said bluntly.

"How did you?"

"I ran into an old friend a few days ago, he expressed concerns that you may be wavering from the ways of the cloth."  
"A friend?"  
"To protect them I can't say, but yes they had expressed concerns and I have to say that I agreed with them, so I pose one question to you. Is this love or lust?"  
"That's just it Father how am I to know?"  
"If you were a real priest Patrick, it wouldn't make a difference." 

Patrick sat thinking about that statement and stared down into his own cup of tea and then past to his shoes.

"Father," Father Mac said standing up and walking across the room to gaze out the window, "I can send you on retreat, if that is what you really want, but from my experience if you have done this once you will do it again. I had a priest who came to me years ago with a similar, complaint we will call it, he thought he had fallen in love. I advised him this girl was a dime a dozen, and he was to continue to serve God as he had agreed. He never made peace with his decision, and I do have some reservations that I gave him the right advice."

"I want to go on retreat, I want to try."

"As you wish Father." 

Anne and Aidan sat at the bar taking a breather from all the paperwork. Fionn who had grown so much in such a short period of time slept peacefully on a sofa in the waiting area. The Sky service man was still there fixing the new satellite dish to the outside of the building.

"Bit cheeky Avril and Vincent sneaking off without a proper send off," Anne yawned.

"Well they had a long journey ahead of them."  
"I was hoping they would have a party."  
"A party would have been nice."

"You need the business," she sighed swirling a refreshing gin and tonic round and round her glass.

"Right, so boss how bad are things?"

"Well they aren't good, we would be looking at another six months, maybe a year, and then your overdraft will be exhausted. You have some pretty worrying letters here from the Bank of Ireland."  
"Yeah they send those letters to everyone, but no one really reads them."  
"Aidan."  
"What?"

"Come back to Dublin with me."  
"So you're going?"

"I'm seriously considering it, will you think about it?"

"I'm so used to being my own man."  
"I know, but just think it through, I need to let my company know in the next couple of weeks. Just think it over," she said putting her hand tightly around his and giving it a little squeeze.


	35. Chapter 35

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE – AS STARS LOOK DOWN

Patrick arrived back to Ballyk very late that evening. The town was quiet and he had been missing for about a week. Father Mac covered his service and told the locals Patrick was leading a class in Dublin for a while. Patrick opened the red door to his little white house and found it exactly as he had left it with the exception of it being a little cleaner. The summer evening was warm, and the house stuffy. He went around opening windows and taking in the fresh air of the night. In the parking lot in front of the church he heard a female voice as she encouraged her dog to chase the ball. Against his better judgment Patrick stepped outside to investigate.

Anne stood at one end of the parking lot as she tiredly hurled a tennis ball to the other in a vain attempt to wear out the young dog. She drank coffee from a tumbler at her side and cheered Fionn on each time he successfully completed a game of fetch.

"He's grown since I last saw him," Patrick said awkwardly in the darkness.

"How's God?" Anne snapped, "Tell him 'Hi' for us mortals."  
"You know it's not like that."  
"Do I?"

"Anne all my life I wanted to be a priest, and then I met you and …"

"And what?" she asked softly.

"I met you and I, I can't breathe."

"I've asked Aidan to come back to Dublin with me at the end of the season."  
"Really, when did you decide this?"  
"This evening."  
"And is this what you really want?"  
"You have made it quite clear that only your feelings matter in this, not mine."  
"What do you want me to say?"  
"I thought it was obvious."  
"Well it's not."  
"Tell me you love me, tell me you want me in your life, tell me you want to run away with me and start over and build a life together."

"It's not that easy."  
"What? To know what you want? I beg to differ."  
"I need time."

"You've had time," Anne barked angrily, "and you knew what you wanted in Dublin that night, I asked you to make sure and you knew what we were doing was wrong and you wanted it anyway. You're selfish! Have your cake and eat it too!"  
"Cheap shot."  
"It's true though isn't it, you know it is!"

"I'm not having this discussion right now, I am just telling you I need time," Patrick said turning his back on her to leave him.  
"Aidan wants me to marry him." Anne blurted out.

Patrick stopped cold.

"What?"  
"He mentioned it tonight."  
"What did you tell him?"

"I'd think about it," Anne paused and then glared at Patrick, "What do you think I should do?"

"I thought you didn't need my help making decisions."

Anne could hear the door to Patrick's house close in the night, she crumped to the ground in tears. Aidan had made no such offer she just wanted to hurt him, and now she was the one who was hurt. Fionn rushed over to her side and bounded into her lap. She held him and sobbed.

Patrick closed the door behind him and pressed his back against it. His chest rose and fell heavily. A few tears formed in the corners of his eyes and he angrily brushed them away. A cross of Jesus hung on the wall opposite him. He tore it from the wall and hurled it across the room. He paced angrily before reaching for the phone.

"I don't care if he's asleep!" Patrick shouted down the end of the receiver, "Wake him up it's an emergency!"


	36. Chapter 36

CHAPTER THIRTY SIX – BIRTHS, DEATHS, AND MARRIAGES

"What we need is a gimmick," Aidan said to Brendan.

"Like what kind of gimmick?"

"Something to really help drag the tourists to Ballyk, something to really bring in the money."  
"Brian Quigley would have been your man for that now," Brendan chuckled.

"I'm serious Brendan."  
"So am I," he laughed.

"Let's face it, this place has been a morgue lately, we need something to liven it up!"  
"Pubs in Dublin offer music and entertainment."  
"I can't afford to pay anyone, that's the problem."  
"Right, well people don't like to work for free Aidan."  
"True, true," he sighed resting his head in his hands.

"Is there any truth to all this gossip?"  
"What have ya been hearing?"  
"You and Anne going back to Dublin at the end of the season?"

"We've talked about it, she wants to go back."

"Do you?"

"No really but look it, this place isn't making me any money. I'm so far in debt I have all my creditors after me for years to come, Brendan, I may not be able to hold on to this place by the end of the summer."  
"Leave it with me," Brendan winked and pulling himself off his barstool eagerly trotted for the door, knowing he couldn't let his local pub die.

Brendan sat in Peter's kitchen with a coffee cup and a neat whiskey in front of him.

"Aidan is going to lose the pub?" Peter said astonished.

"Well, not yet, but its close."

"Right," Peter said looking down into his coffee cup.

"I know you weren't here after Assumpta died."

"Brendan …"

"Just hear me out, we had throngs of people trying to make this place work, it doesn't make a lot of money and we are just too remote to pull the Dublin type crowds, it takes a special person to pull this off and that person is Aidan."

"So what do you recommend we do? Have another festival, a play, a food faire?"

"How about a just basic fund raiser?"

"What like another poker tournament?"

"Sure why not?"

"Because it's illegal."

Peter sighed, "And what about the Garda?"

"What about them? Sure they drink in here just like the rest of us."

Brendan and Peter exited the police station and started to make their way down towards the street to the pub.

"This is unreal I can't believe they are going to let us do this!" Peter exclaimed.

"Its fine as long as 100% of the proceeds go to the pub, and what is even better is Aidan will be allowed to sell during that time so it's a win win."  
"Right so when do we do it?"  
"Well we will need some time to get it organized, let's give it a week or two, see if we can round up the usual suspects to seek interest?"  
"Sounds fair to me."  
"Shall we go tell Aidan."  
"I think so," Peter said smugly.

The two men quickened their pace to the pub. For the first time since he had arrived Peter felt that spark of Ballyk that made him love the little village all those years ago.


	37. Chapter 37

CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN – IT'S A MAN'S LIFE

Patrick stood pacing the floor of the large corridor waiting for his name to be called. The building was positively sterile. The floors were polished white, the walls were spotless white and the lights were fluorescent. It felt like a hospital and it made Patrick slightly uncomfortable. Sisters of the order walked the hallway exchanging pleasantries and offering cups of tea. He felt like if he got any more caffeine he would be flying and politely declined.

It was about an hour before his name was called. At first he thought the hallway was the worst place he could be, all of the pacing and waiting. He figured once he was on the other side of the door he would know what awaited him and once you face your demon it is much less scary than the unknown.

He found himself in a single uncomfortable chair facing three people on the other side of a very long oak table. The person in the middle he recognized to be Father Mac, and the two on either side were unknown to him.

Father Mac opened a folder on the table, coughed a little, took a sip from a glass of water in front of him and began.

"Father Haulings, I have here in front of me a written request to surrender your position as priest of Ballykissangel, Co Wicklow Ireland effective of this date can you please confirm with a yes or no please?"  
"Yes Father that is correct."  
"I also have here a further request for you to resign as a Priest of the Catholic Order also effective immediately, can you please confirm with a yes or a no please?"  
"Yes Father that also is correct."  
"Please understand upon leaving here today you will no longer be a priest with duties, however you will still be ordained. You will not be permitted to marry until you have been released from your vows, this can take up to a few months with a dispensation to be granted from the Vatican, is this understood?"

"Yes Father."  
"To further this conversation, while you will not be permitted to work as a Parish Priest you are no longer allowed to avail of the said "perks" of priesthood, thusly you must vacate your current home, please note where you choose to go is of your own liking, but it would be preferred if you could leave a forwarding address with the council here before you leave, is this also understood?"

"Yes Father," Patrick gulped, the idea of potential homelessness running through his head.

"As mentioned this process does take time, and can often be a culture shock to younger priests who have not had a lot of experience outside the order. You will be assigned a senior clergy man to help you on your journey, he will be waiting for you in the main lobby, I will introduce you before you leave."  
"Thank you Father."  
"Do you have any other questions for the council?"  
"No Father."  
"Right then I consider this matter addressed and closed, good day gentleman," Father Mac when to shakily stand, "A word in my office before you leave if you don't mind Mr. Haulings."  
"Of course Father."

Patrick followed Father Mac through a side door into his office. He took out a decanter of whiskey and poured them each a glass. Father Mac rocked back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling.

"So you did it? How do you feel?"  
"Is this a confession or?"  
"Its two friends having a chat," Father Mac clarified.

"Friends?" Patrick questioned.

Father Mac raised his eyebrow in response.

"I'm scared."  
"That's normal."  
"What if she won't forgive me?"  
"I think she is a rational person."  
"She was so hurt and angry, I behaved so badly."  
Father Mac sighed, "We all do things we wish we hadn't."  
"Did I do the right thing?"  
"It's not my place to answer that."  
Patrick nodded.

"You love her?"

Patrick nodded again.

"And she loves you?"

"I believe she does."  
"Then you have to try," Father Mac said patting Patrick's hand and downing the rest of his glass of whiskey, "Right! Onward and upward to bigger and better things, you are free man with a lot of work to do. It's been a pleasure Patrick," Father Mac shook his hand firmly but mellowing in his old age.

"Indeed it has," he said shaking back.

Patrick walked along that same corridor but this time it intimidated him less that before. He started to walk towards the main door past reception when a Sister caught his attention.

"Mr. Haulings, before you go, you have a visitor."  
"Oh right my councillor," he mused.

Patrick turned to face Peter sitting causally on a sofa in reception reading a magazine.

"Fancy a chat and a coffee?" Peter asked.


	38. Chapter 38

CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT – THE FINAL FRONTIER

The pub was heaving as soon as Peter and Brendan had announced there would be another poker tournament. It hurt Aidan's pride slightly that the entire village had to hear about his money problems, but that was all long forgotten when he started to see the till fill up with loads of colourful Euros.

"How did you guys do it?" Aidan asked the smug Peter and Brendan who sat in the corner of the bar, "I mean the winner just gets bragging rights, no money right?"

Peter and Brendan exchanged a laughing glance.

"Alright fellas what is it that I don't know here?"

"We may have given them an incentive to win," winked Brendan.

"What kind of incentive?"  
"A keg of beer kind of incentive," Peter said rolling his eyes to the ceiling innocently.

"A keg of beer?!" Aidan shouted.

"Looks it's not that much and there are terms and conditions of use on the bottom of the poker sign in form, it's all on the up and up you will make the money back, 10 no 100 fold, and besides we don't have on there what kind of beer," Peter smiled.

"What do you mean what kind of beer?"

"So we know Anne has been helping you with your paperwork and she said she had done an inventory and there was an old keg of Fosters sitting downstairs you haven't moved in about a year."  
"So?"

"So that is the prize!"

"A manky old keg of Fosters, oh you have to be kidding."

"Look free beer is free beer," Brendan stated, "And let them keep the keg after as a décor piece, everyone will be happy."  
"I'll hold you to that," Aidan said turning to leave.

"Where are you off to?"

"Going over to Hendleys to buy more cards. I'm going to get one for every table, the more they sit here and practice the more they drink and this place hasn't been this busy in weeks!"

Anne sat at the kitchen table in the back of the pub. She had the ledgers still in front of her, a pile of past due notices and was franticly typing. Over the course of the last week she had been asking for a statement from each place Aidan owned money, and hidden in the back of the freezer was his credit card. He was only allowed to make two kinds of purchases, booze from his supplier and food for the pub, that was it. Unless anything broke unexpectedly Anne's primary focuses were getting all of his utilities paid off, his credit card paid down, the bills settled with his suppliers and then she was going to have a meeting with Bank of Ireland to discuss the massive overdraft.

Her eyes then glanced to the stack of tabs. She had put a sign up in the pub that tabs were no longer tolerated and all drinks and food had to be paid for upon consumption. Most people had small tabs, a few drinks here or there which were settled quickly, but a handful of people had tabs in the several hundreds and these she was on the war path to collect.

She could hear Aidan talking to the punters and used this as her chance to come in on her hourly inspection. She opened the till, counted out the bank and took the remaining funds into the back room.

"What was that for?!" Aidan shouted after her.

"The electric bill!" she shouted back.

"She's cracking the whip pretty hard there," Brendan laughed.

"Hey she's turning this place around and not asking for a single thing in return, so don't knock it. I'd have to pay a fortune to get his kind of accountancy advice in Dublin." 

Suddenly a roar erupted from the pub as all the TV's turned to static.

"Not again!" Aidan said, "that's the third time today, I wouldn't care so much but that group down the back are watching old reruns of poker tournaments and they spend a lot of money."  
"What's causing that?" asked Peter.

"The damn Sky technician, he bolted the dish to a loose tile on the roof and every time the wind blows the dish tips over."

"You need to get your man out here to fix that," said Brendan.

"I've tried, we are on a waiting list and it's an eighty euro call out charge, I just don't have it right now. She wants me to cut the whole service, says it is too expensive, but it's bringing in the punters so, six of one like."

Aidan dashed off to the back room to find the ladder.

"What was that all about?" Anne asked looking up from her laptop.

"Damn dish came lose again."

"Did you ring Sky?"

"Yeah we are on waiting list, in the mean time I'll fix it myself."  
"Alright but get someone to help steady the ladder or you'll fall and break your neck!" 


	39. Chapter 39

CHAPTER THRITY NINE – TWO FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST

Patrick sat opposite Peter across a small café table, wishing for something stronger than a cappuccino his eye kept a sideways glance to the pub across the road, then to his watch. Only a few more hours he said to himself.

"Are you going to tell her?" Peter asked getting straight to the point.

"I don't know," Patrick sighed.

"Be a bit of a waste if you didn't, I mean what is the plan here? I find running away doesn't work."  
"I'll tell her, I just don't know when."  
"You better make it soon if you are going to."  
"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well you've not been home in a while, things have changed. Anne and Aidan have become quite close."

Anne was on top of a ladder hanging streamers while Aidan stocked the fridge. It has been a record week for the pub. Anne had already made a deposit to the bank and almost all of the Fitzgerald debit has been cleared. She looked over at the top of Aidan's wavy haired head and wondered if he would still be up for leaving this place in a few weeks' time.

"About done up there?" he shouted up to her.

"I think so, how's it looking?"  
"From where I stand …" Aidan just smiled and walked towards her, "You know we have a bit of time before we open."  
"No, no, no," Anne smiled jumping to the floor, "we have too much going on for that!"

Aidan stepped forward and circled her waist with his hands and kissed her warmly.

"Get a room you two, pint of stout when you have a chance," Brendan said casually walking to his normal place at the end of the bar.

"And it starts," Aidan whispered in her ear.

"After the tournament," she whispered back.

Patrick glanced across the road once more.

"The answer isn't in a pub," Peter reflected, "Or maybe in your case it is?"

"Now you are promoting liquid courage."  
"Not exactly, but when you go back to Ballyk, which you will, what you are looking for is in Fitzgerald's."  
"What do I say to her?"  
"I'm afraid I never got as far as working that one out, just take my advice and don't say it while wearing your dog collar," Peter chuckled.


	40. Chapter 40

CHAPTER FORTY – HELLO AND FAREWELL

It poured like cats and dogs the night of the tournament. People from all over rushed inside the pub with soaked macs and brollies. Tables were packed as those who played cards played frantically and those who didn't play milled around and watched. Both Anne and Aidan were behind the bar when Patrick and Peter walked in. Patrick looked sheepish as Peter ordered a drink for the two of them.

"Hey, great to see you guys!" Anne said bounding over all smiles.

"Here to play or observe?"  
"Just observe I'm afraid, not too good at the play."  
"How's Patrick, he looks a bit ill, should he be here?"  
"Oh he's ok. Just needs a drink."  
"Great well there you are and you guys enjoy your night.

"What was that about?" Aidan asked quietly.

"I'm not sure really, something is up with those two but I can't place it," Anne said staring after them with a frown.

A crack of thunder shook the pub as everyone stopped and looked up for a moment, a temporary distraction from their card game.

"Wow that was a close one," Anne said looking around the place as if it might all come crashing down, "I thought you don't get thunder storms here."  
"We do but they are rare, usually in the mountains, you're right that was close enough alright, but I don't expect it to last long."

"OI! Hey! Aidan the TV!" the crowd shouted and once again the TV's turned to static.

"Aidan it's the Sky dish again," Anne sighed.

"Yeah I'll get the ladder."  
"What about Sky can't you call them again?"

"It's too late, they won't come up today, just give me five minutes and I can fix it."  
"It's pouring Aidan, it can wait until tomorrow, we'll just pay their call out charge."  
"Oh come on the group's screaming, it will only take me a few minutes."  
"OK but take someone with you to hold the ladder."  
"Anne I'll be fine," Aidan said kissing Anne on the top of the head and reaching for the ladder.

The storm continued to rage outside as the rest of the group carried on as normal.

Patrick shyly approached the bar.

"Anne can we talk a minute?"  
"It's really not a good time, bit busy."  
"It's important," he persisted.

"Then come find me a bit later Patrick," Anne said sternly.

The room lit up with a flash, everyone standing still in the awesome glow. The building rattled with a large crack of thunder, a few pictures shook themselves loose from the walls and a crash was heard just outside the pub. Everyone looked at one another in shock. Anne's heart raced as she pushed people out of her way towards the door. All anyone could hear was a wail as they followed in her tracks.

Aidan lay at the foot of the ladder crumpled in a heap and unconscious.


	41. Chapter 41

CHAPTER FORTY ONE – CATCH OF THE DAY

"Aidan," Anne wailed having to be stripped away from his wet body.

"Oh my God," Peter uttered as he stepped outside, "We need a doctor here, now, did you hear me I said NOW!"

Aidan's body had already started to turn blue, and Anne could not be pried from his side. A few people from inside the pub attempted to do CPR around Anne but it wasn't until Peter physically pulled her away that anyone was able to get close to his body.

Anne sobbed heavily in Peter's arms and collapsed to the cold wet pavement.

"Ambulance is on its way," Brendan said to Peter, "but it doesn't look good."  
"Reminds me of …" Peter breathed deeply.

"Yeah … me too."

Patrick stood in the shadows as everyone rushed around Aidan, somehow feeling this was all his fault.

Fionn darted from side to side running between Aidan and Anne. Anne batted him away harshly so he ran to Aidan where he was shooed away with equal force from the paramedics.

"Someone get that damn dog out of here!" someone yelled.

Patrick scooped the dog up in his arms and made eye contact with Peter. Peter nodded and Patrick took Fionn and started up the hill to his house.

"There's nothing left to be done here," one of the paramedics said quietly to the other, "he was struck by lightning it would have been quick."  
"Aye," answered the other simply.

They loaded Aidan's body to the ambulance as practically the whole town watched. Peter lifted Anne to her feet and motioned for her to go with them. Peter called a paramedic over.

"Let her ride with, please," he pleaded gently, "if you need to you may need to give her something to calm her down."

The paramedic nodded in response and wrapped a blanket around Anne.

"I'll follow you to the hospital, I'll be right behind you I promise," Peter shouted after them.

"Come on Brendan," Peter shouted for his old friend as he took off in a dash after his car.

Anne was sitting in the morgue when the two arrived. She was numb sitting over Aidan's dead body. It had all happened too fast. The smell of the room wreaked of death, she felt sick to her stomach and yet she couldn't leave him. Two police officers were outside waiting to take a statement, but every time they approached her she growled and stared like a feral animal.

"Hi we are looking for Aidan Kelly, and a young lady dark red hair, would have come in with him?" Peter asked the lady at reception.

"Wait a minute, you two," approached one of the Garda, "were you at the pub when the accident occurred?"  
"Yes, what's this about officer?"

"We need someone to identify the body, we can't get a word out of your crazy one that's in there."  
"Anne," Peter gasped and rushed towards the room.

"It's ok officer, I was there what do you need to know?" Brendan asked staying behind.

Peter stood in the entry way of the room and looked around. Flash backs came back in strong waves as Peter could almost see Assumpta there lifeless on the bed. He looked up at the ceiling and took a deep breath. He approached Anne and could hear the low lying growl.

"Anne, Anne, its Peter, I need you to look at me Anne." 

Anne turned to face him. Her dark red curls matted against her face, her clothes soaked and clinging to her slight frame, her mascara running down her face in dark gloopy streams. Peter put his hand on her shoulder but she shrugged him away. He approached her again and noticed he could barely see her breathing. He took a chair from the corner of the room and sat next to her.

"I was going to leave," she said suddenly, "At the end of the summer I was going to leave, and I had hoped he was going to come with me and now, "she struggled to breathe, "and now I don't know what I am going to do," she struggled to swallow.

"We are all here for you, whatever you need."  
"I needed him, I needed him," she sobbed into Peter's shoulder, "and now he's gone."

"Ms. Fitzgerald, Mr. Clifford, I really must insist you go home," a Sister said gently.

"No, I can't," Anne squeaked, "I can't go home alone back to that place."  
"Just five more minutes Sister?" asked Peter.

"Five more minutes and then I must insist."

Anne slept in the back of the car as Peter drove on to Ballyk. She was absolutely exhausted. The doctor had given her a few tablets in the hospital. She took them both in the car. Brendan sat next to Peter.

"Someone needs to call Aidan's family," Peter said quietly as he drove along.

"I'll ask around, see if we can word to them."

"They'll be wanting to arrange a funeral soon."

"You take care of Anne, I'll go up to see Patrick in the morning."  
"Best not bother Patrick with this."  
"It's his job Peter."  
"Not anymore," Peter frowned. 


	42. Chapter 42

CHAPTER FORTY TWO – MOVING OUT

A few days had passed since Aidan had died and his family could be located. A funeral was held in Cildargan before his body would be moved to Dublin for burial. Anne didn't have much time to get acquainted with Aidan's family. She sat with Peter towards the back of the church, Patrick was nowhere to be seen.

"How did you do it?" Anne asked Peter after the service, looking down at her dowdy black funeral attire and wringing her hands uncomfortably.

"You mean when Assumpta died?"  
Anne nodded.

"I ran away, but I wouldn't recommend it."  
"You came back in the end though."  
"I came back too late."  
"You have been a great help to me, I'd say you came back just in time."  
Peter leaned around Anne and gave her a little squeeze.

Peter and Anne walked away from the crowds towards their car. Anne had expressed interest previously in not sticking around, when a man in a suit caught their eye.

"Peter Clifford? Anne Fitzgerald?"

"Yes?" they answered.

"Hi, my name is Thomas McDougal, I'm a solicitor."  
"Right," Anne said sceptically.

"I represented the late Mr. Kelly, his personal affairs and his will."  
"I see," said Peter one eyebrow raised, "I am not sure what all this has to do with us though?"  
"Aidan Kelly had named you as a beneficiary, I can't go into many details now, but if you could meet me in Dublin tomorrow for say around three o'clock, we will be going over the details then."  
"Right well," Peter said taking the card.

"I'm sorry Mr. Clifford, only Miss Fitzgerald has been named, I am afraid it will be her attendance required only."  
Peter nodded and squeezed Anne on the shoulder.

"Thank you Mr. McDougal, yes you will see me tomorrow, not a problem." 

Anne walked from the solicitor's office with an envelope of papers, a set of keys and kindly shook Mr. McDougal's hand. She sat quietly on the train all the way to Cildargan, and from there rode the bus quietly back to Ballyk. She collected Fionn from her cottage and walked him down the hill to the pub. She took a set of keys from the envelope, opened the door, closed it and locked it behind her.

The pub was still a disaster from the tournament which had been over a week ago. The smell was unreal, half drank pints and dirty dishes littered every surface. She opened a few windows to filter the smell and poured herself a strong gin and tonic. She laid her head on the counter of the bar and cried. Fionn laid down at her feet.

A tap on the large blue door distracted Anne from her tears.

"We're closed," she said.

They tapped louder.

"We're closed!"

They tapped again.

"We are CLOSED!" she roared in Peter's face, winging open the door violently.

Both stood back from each other in shock.

"Peter," Anne gasped, "I'm sorry."  
"Hey, it's ok, I saw you come in, how did it go, are you ok?"  
"You are looking at the new owner of Fitzgerald's."  
"Really?! That's great!"  
"Is it?" Anne gestured around herself at the massive mess.

"So it's a little dirty, we'll have it clean in no time."

"And then what?"  
"And then you open and start serving punters again."  
"This was Aidan's dream not mine," she sighed walking away from the door.

Peter followed her inside and noticed the fresh glass of gin and tonic on the counter. He picked it up and smelled it, it had been poured very strong. He started at one corner of the bar with a bin and a bus tub and slowly started tidying up the mess. Anne poured herself another drink, grabbed the rest of the bottle off the shelf and took Fionn upstairs to Aidan's private quarters.


	43. Chapter 43

CHAPTER FORTY THREE – EUREKA

All had been quiet for the several hours it took Peter to get everything cleaned and put away. He hadn't seen Fionn all this time either, and when he couldn't find the keys to lock up he suspected Anne had them on her person. He crept up the stairs to find both Anne and Fionn fast sleep on Aidan's sofa. The gin bottle was empty and laying on the floor just inches away from Anne's hand. He tidied everything away and put a blanket over them both.

Anne woke in the middle of the night in a dark room. Fionn whined and scratched at the door. It took a minute to remember where she was. Aidan's sofa was too small for her to lay as she had been and as she went to stand stiffness crawled through her back. She fumbled for a light switch, tasted a bit of gin on her lips and threw up in a waste bin. She collected herself and headed down the stairs. She opened the door into the crisp night and let the cool air wash over her. Fionn bolted out the door.

Patrick sat in his kitchen with a cup of tea again unable to sleep. He hadn't seen Anne since the day Aidan died and he only spoke with Peter briefly on the phone. Aidan had returned Fionn in the night, tying him to Anne's front porch and didn't say a word about who had him or where he had been. He looked at the papers on his kitchen table, all pretty clear. He had a limited number of days before he would be needing to find a new house.

Anne found herself drinking a strong cup of tea in Peter's kitchen.

"Thanks again," she smiled weakly, "for taking care of everything at the pub, and … me."  
"My pleasure," Peter smiled topping up her cup.

"Now that's an idea."  
"What?"

"Well you are so good at it, you take over the pub, you can have it and run it, it would be a perfect solution."  
"Except I don't want it."  
"Right, except that," Anne laughed.

"Have you seen Patrick?" Peter asked causally changing the subject.

"No, not for a week at least, have you?"  
"You should go see him, he took care of Fionn that night you know."  
"No I didn't know. Oh Damn and that night, he said he had something really important to tell me and I just blew him off, I wonder what it was?"

"Maybe you should call up to him."  
"Yeah I should, I owe him a thank you by the sounds of it." 

Anne put on her coat to set out to Patrick's when a voice called out from behind.

"I heard them say it but I didn't believe it." 

Peter and Anne both stopped and looked at the man standing at the end of the drive.

"Leo?" Peter whispered.


	44. Chapter 44

CHAPTER FORTY FOUR – BEHIND BARS

 _A week before …_

Leo sat at his desk in London going through a stack of files. It had all been reported to death. Breixt, boring, the world was sick of it. Too soon to tackle the next Olympics, essentially one had just finished. The Queen's birthday, ok maybe. North Korea stopping all nuclear testing, now here was a story but could he get travel clearance in time, it was doubtful. Leo pushed back his chair and stood up to stretch. He slipped his coat around his shoulders and walked out.

Around the corner from the newspaper building was a small café. Leo ordered a beer and a sandwich with a packet of crisps and sat himself down with his tablet. He opened up the app for Irish news and started to read about the land he had left behind.

 _PUBLICAN DIES IS FREAK ELECTRICAL ACCIDENT_

 _Pub owner Aidan Kelly dies after being struck by lightning when attempting to correct a faulty satellite dish during last week's major storm. While many witnesses tried to resuscitate Kelly his body was declared Dead on Arrival._

Leo skipped on.

 _Fate of Fitzgerald's pub in Ballykissangel, Co Wicklow, now hangs in the balance as a new owner has not come forward. Like many rural towns in Ireland the pub is often the focal point of central activity._

Leo put the tablet down and took a swig of beer, "I'll be dammed," he muttered to himself." 

Leo stood in Cildargan next to his Audi coupe rental car. The last time he was here was to claim identity for Assumpta's body, it was not a place he would have ever saw himself returning to any time soon, and yet here he was. He exited the police station with little news other than Aidan's death had been ruled as an accident. He walked into the Edward Arms pub across the road, ordered a pint and placed a call to his editor in London.

The barman watched intently as Leo let his editor know there was no further updates but he would be calling back in this evening with hopefully a more promising result. The barman handed Leo his pint.

"Are you here to investigate that accident in Ballyk?" he asked.

"Something like that, do you know has the place opened yet?"  
"Now that I'm not sure but it has a new owner sure enough."  
"Already? Who is it?"  
"Sure it be a Fitzgerald."  
"Are you sure?"

"An American, her name is Anne, long lost cousin of the original family."  
"Did she buy it off them or?"  
"Now that I don't know, you would be better off going to Ballyk yourself, mind you, they may not talk to you if you are the reporting type."  
"I think I'll be ok."  
"Suit yourself.

Leo parked his car in front of Fitzgerald's and pounded on the door. No answer. He stopped into Hendley's to buy a pack of cigarettes and asked a few questions but the kid behind the counter didn't have much information. He walked up to the top of the road to the church and found it eerily quiet where was everyone? He made his way back towards his car when he heard two people saying good byes, he ran as fast as his feet would take him before the two locals went inside.


	45. Chapter 45

CHAPTER FORTY FIVE – BRENDAN'S CROSSING

Anne stood tensely in the front yard as Peter and Leo stared each other down.

"What are you doing here Leo?" Peter asked sternly.

"I'm investigating the circumstances of Aidan Kelly's death."  
"The police already did that and ruled it an accident."  
"I'm investigating the new pub owner then."  
"You have no claim to anything here Leo, its best you leave."  
"I think I have a right to meet my in laws."

Anne's eyes wavered between the two men.

"You're Leo McGarvey," she whispered.

"And you must be the new owner of Fitzgerald's."  
"Well for now anyway."  
"Trying to unload the place?"

"The thought had crossed my mind."  
"Well if you are looking to sell I am still pretty heavily connected in these parts."  
"Well she isn't!" Peter interjected.

"What's your problem?" Anne asked him.

"He's just jealous after all these years because I married Assumpta and he never got the chance," Leo said with a smile.

"Alright enough both of you, in case you forgot Peter I came here to find my family, Leo was at one point in time family."  
"You can't be serious." Peter mumbled.

Anne walked with Leo down to the pub and unlocked the door. He walked around the place slowly.

"May I?" he asked before stepping behind the bar.

"Of course." 

It looked almost exactly the same as it had when he lived here with Assumpta. He saw her picture hanging behind the bar and smiled to himself. For a brief moment in their younger years they had been happy.

 _Assumpta: Don't leave it so long next time._

 _Leo: Next time I'd like you to come with me. What do you say? We could try again._

 _Assumpta: No, Leo, not now._

 _Leo: Sure there's nothing keeping you here. Or maybe I'm wrong._

He stepped into the kitchen and noticed the dog bed in the corner.

"Did Aidan have a dog?" he asked.

"No, uh, I have a dog," Anne smiled weakly.

Leo nodded and smiled.

"So what are you going to do?" Leo asked settling himself on a barstool.

"I don't know, I don't want to be laboured with this place, it was Aidan's dream to keep it going, I wanted to leave at the end of the summer."  
"Back to the States?"  
"No Dublin."  
"Ah right, Big Smoke. You were close to Mr. Kelly?"  
"We were dating."  
"So how did you…?"  
"He left it to me in his will."  
"Nice gift."

"I am sure he thought so at the time," Anne smiled weakly.

"You don't have to feel obligated to stay, Assumpta felt this place was trapping her, but then she met Peter and well I guess things changed."  
"You were married by then?"

"We were, I was raging at the time, but sure you mellow a bit with age."

"How long will you be in town for?"  
"A few days, then back to London, the wife and kids will miss me," he winked.

"You remarried?!"  
"Yeah a few years ago, her name is Cathy, and we have a boy and a girl 8 and 10," Leo said showing Anne pictures on her phone, "There is a life outside of this place, and its worth it trust me. People get hung up in these small towns and they don't get out. It's not healthy. You need to do what is best for you Anne."

"Yeah sometimes it's getting that figured out though isn't it?"  
"Sometimes. Look I know you're grieving, but this wasn't it for you was it?"

"What do you mean?"  
"Aidan? He wasn't the one, I mean you may have been his one, but he wasn't yours."  
Anne grimaced slightly, "I may open this place up tonight, after all it's mine now to do as I please and I don't know how much longer I'll be here."


	46. Chapter 46

CHAPTER FORTY SIX – A FEW DOLLARS MORE

Anne stood behind the bar, the windows and blue doors were open and slowly one by one the locals were trickling in to buy a drink and pay their respects. Brendan was in his usual spot, Liam and Donal were parked in their corner, and Leo had found a corner table where he reported on the goings on from his laptop. Within the hour a few friends had joined him. Peter came in later on and asked Anne if she needed help but she poured him a Harp and sent him away. Father Mac came in a short time later and joined Peter, but still there had been no sign of Patrick.

Father Mac sipped his whiskey, "So she decided to open."  
"She did," Peter smiled.

"It won't last you know?"

"And whys that?"  
"You see those men with Leo McGarvey?"

"Yes," Peter said sternly.

"They are property developers from Dublin."  
"How do you know that?"  
"They own half the city, even tried their hand and buying out some old churches. A few have been purchased and turned into night clubs, they gave us a fair price, not bad men really."  
"These are old mates of Leo's Anne said so."  
"They may be old mates, but they are also property developers and they will give her a fair price for this place. Best that she takes it and runs."  
Peter frowned.

"I am guessing she and Patrick will need the money, an out of work priest doesn't have many marketable skills." 

Anne took a moment to steal herself away to the kitchen and find a phone. She picked up the receiver and dialled Patrick's house.

Patrick was in the middle of packing. Boxes strung the length and breadth of the small house. The phone which normally sat on the table was under a pile of clothes. He heard it ring and tore through the piles to reach it on the last ring.

"Hello?" he said breathlessly.

"Patrick?" Anne said quietly.

"Anne, hi."  
"Where have you been?"  
"Busy."  
"Look I opened the pub, for tonight anyway, will you come down, just for a drink?"  
"I've got my hands rather full here."  
"Oh I see. Well maybe later if you have time?"

"Yeah ok."

Patrick disconnected the phone and looked around himself. Even when he did have the boxes packed he wasn't sure where he would be going.

"Anne! Hey Anne!" a customer shouted after her.

She put the phone back on the hook and shouted back, "Just a minute!"  
"Anne, hey before you go back out there," Leo said sticking his head through the door, "The lads and I have been running some figures."  
"And?"  
"I think we can get you a good price for this place."  
"And the inheritance tax?"

"All that is sorted too, just come have a look at what we've drafted."  
"You're very good Leo thank you," she smiled.

Peter and Father Mac watched as Anne joined Leo and his party. Brendan hobbled over soon after and took a seat with them both.

"What do you think they're up to?" Brendan whispered.

"Selling the pub by the sounds of it," Father Mac whispered back having another sip from his whiskey glass.

"Well what are we doing here we have to stop them!"  
"Brendan," Peter sighed, "It's been a great summer but Anne is ready to go home, you have to see that."  
Brendan stared down into his glass, "I just wish there was another way."


	47. Chapter 47

CHAPTER FORTY SEVEN – THE OUTSIDERS

Anne pressed herself against the door and ran her hands over her eyes. The last punter was gone, it had been a good night but she wasn't sure she could do it again. Leo agreed to have the papers drawn by the end of the month and by then Fitzgerald's would no longer be her problem. By this time next month she would be back to her cushy office job in her nice Dublin apartment. She felt conflicted about her decision, as if it was a betrayal to Aidan in some way, but her heart just wasn't in it anymore.

She wanted to desperately to connect with her family and learn about her cousin. She felt her mission had been accomplished, she wanted to _learn_ about Assumpta, not _become_ her.

Fionn lazily stretched and walked in from the kitchen. She gave him a good scratch behind the ears. He was due for one more walk before bed. There was still the dilemma on what to do with him, it wouldn't be easy to convince a Dublin landlord to take in a pet. Anne gazed into the dog's deep brown eyes and decided it would be impossible to leave him behind.

A light knock at the door broke Anne from her thoughts. She looked down at her watch, it was a little after two in the morning.

"We're closed!" she shouted.

The knock persisted.

She opened the door and stifled a yawn, "Look we are closed do you want to get me fined from the Garda?"  
"Hi Anne," said Patrick quietly, "is it too late for that drink?"  
"Patrick, no of course not. Come in please. What can I get you?" she asked walking behind the bar.

"Just a pint of lager please, sorry I didn't get here before, looks like I missed on Hell of a party."  
"Yeah it was a full night alright, don't suppose if I give you your pints for free you'd help me clean up?"  
"Yeah that seems like a fair trade," Patrick smiled.

He unbuttoned the cuffs around his dark blue dress shirt and pushed the sleeves up to around his elbows. He loosened his collar, took a tea towel from the counter, and started collecting glasses off the bar.

"New shirt?" Anne asked, handing him a bus tub.

"No, just haven't worn it in a while."

"It suits you, anything other than that dreary old black," Anne laughed.

"Yeah, sometimes you get enough of the dreary black," Patrick smiled weakly.

"So where have you been? No one has seen you in ages!"

"I've been busy."  
"So you've said, but what exactly have you been doing that's kept you so busy?"


	48. Chapter 48

CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT – WITH A SONG IN MY HEART

"Anne I …" Patrick tried unsure where to start.

"Yes?" she stopped and turned to him.

"I need to talk to you, can we sit down a minute?"

"Are you alright? You look like you're going to be sick?"

"Maybe I am."

"Ok well sit down and take your time, I have some exciting news myself actually."

"Ok you go first," Patrick said stalling

"I am going to sell the pub," Anne smiled.

"Really?"

"Yes really, I got a fantastic offer on it this afternoon, this time next month Fionn and I will be in Dublin, isn't that wonderful!" she beamed ear to ear.

"That's amazing, congratulations."  
"Thank you!"

Patrick leaned over and gave her a hug.

"Now you, what's your big news?"

"Ok, so do you remember that night in the church parking lot when we talked about figuring out what we finally want?"

"Yeah, I have to say I was a bit too hard on you."  
"No its ok I think it's the final push I needed."

"Ok," Anne could feel something big coming.

"Well I did it, I made my decision, I left, I'm no longer a priest." 


	49. Chapter 49

CHAPTER FORTY NINE – LOVE'S LABOURS

Anne leaned back in disbelief. It was all too much too soon. Had he really just said what she thought she heard? Patrick Haulings was no longer a priest. He was free? They were free? To start what? To do what? Her head spun.

"Anne are you ok?" Patrick asked.

"Yeah, just can you run this all by me again?"  
"I've left the priesthood. You were right I needed to make a decision and I chose you."  
"Patrick I don't know what to say."  
"Say I did the right thing because I'm not sure of anything right now." 

But Anne wasn't sure he had done the right thing. She finally had made her decision too, she was leaving Ballyk and resuming her life in Dublin. She could hardly take Patrick with her could she?

"I'm leaving Ballyk Patrick," Anne said soberly.

"Then I'll leave with you."  
"It's not that easy."  
"It is that easy," Patrick pleaded.

"How long have you known?"  
"Known?"  
"That this is what you wanted, how long have you been out of the order? Is this why no one has seen you, is this why you weren't at the funeral?" Anne started to cry.

"Anne stop, please."  
"Answer me!"  
"I've known a few weeks, I wanted to tell you before but it just wasn't the right time and then Peter said…"  
"Wait Peter? What does Peter have to do with any of this?"  
"He was my counsellor."

"Counsellor?"  
"When you leave you need to have a sponsor to help you through everyday life for a while if you aren't prepared."  
"You mean to tell me you don't think you are prepared for everyday life," Anne found herself struggling to breathe.

"I didn't mean it like that, Anne its just procedure"

"Was this what you wanted to tell me the night Aidan died?"  
"Anne this isn't the right time."  
"Is it?"  
"Yes."  
"Oh my God!" Anne said hyperventilating, "We killed him, we killed Aidan, you upset God and we killed him."  
"You aren't making any sense."  
"I need a drink," she said standing up to pour herself a gin with very little tonic.

"Ok, so have a drink," he said watching her curiously.

"Ok, I'm better, I'm ok," she said taking a big gulp and slowing her breathing down, "Patrick, I need time, to think this over, to digest what is going on here."

"Ok, ok, that's fair, I'll leave you to it. As much time as you need," and with that he set his beer down on the table and quickly exited the pub.


	50. Chapter 50

CHAPTER FIFTY – THE WEDDING

Anne stood at Peter's door at the first indication of sunrise. She hadn't slept all night, her hair was a mess, her clothes were wrinkled and she wreaked of gin. She pounded on his door and slurred his name.

"Peter! Peter! Wakey wakey!"  
"What do you want?" Peter shouted back in her face as he threw open the door, "It's five in the morning!"  
"You knew," she said drunkenly pointing a finger in Peter's chest.

"You're drunk."  
"Yep and you knew, you knew about Patrick all this time and you didn't tell me, why didn't you tell me. You of all people are supposed to be my friend!"

Anne stumbled in the door way and laid her head on Peter's kitchen table. Peter brewed a strong cup of coffee and sat it in front of Anne. She took one whiff and vomited on the floor.

"Brilliant," Peter said in disgust.

"See that," Anne pointed to the vomit on the floor, "That is what I think of you not telling about Patrick."  
"You need to go lay down," Peter said hoisting Anne to her feet and dragging her to the sofa.

"You know I took care of you, I was your friend, and you kept this from me, I will never forgive you," Anne slurred as she dropped off to sleep.

Peter cleaned the vomit off his floor and freshened up in the bathroom. He left water by Anne's side and took the keys to the pub off her. As suspected Anne had left Fionn in the pub along with a lot of empty bottles. He clipped the lead on Fionn and headed towards the River Angel. Both he and the dog needed a good stretch in the fresh airl.

The dog splashed about and played happily in the river. Peter walked along the edge until it met again with the road, Fionn running behind him. He stopped at the grotto of Mary and started to clean a few weeds that had grown around her feet. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the statue the fresh morning dew soaking his pant legs.

 _"Who looks after this place?"  
"Everyone and anyone I guess."  
"Yeah."  
"Yeah, you know that's the most famous statute in Ireland."  
"Yeah?"  
"You bet."  
"Why?"  
"Because no matter how long you look at it, or how much drink you've taken that statue won't move a muscle."_

Leo's rental car pulled up alongside of the road.

"This looks familiar," he said as he shut the door starting to walk towards Peter and Fionn.

"I'm not looking for a fight."  
"You weren't then either."  
"What do you want Leo?"  
"I'm looking for Anne, we have some papers to sign."  
"She's at mine."  
"Of course she is."  
"Sleeping off the drink."

"Well I'll give you a ride back, we need to get her up and moving, I have a deal to push through and a plane to catch."  
"That almost sounded civil Leo."

"I've put a lot of things behind me," he said putting out his hand for Peter to shake, "You loved her in ways I could never understand, and our marriage was doomed from the start anyway."  
Peter smiled, "Anne said you're married with kids now?"  
"I am."  
"And you're happy?"

"Extremely," Leo grinned widely. 

Peter called for Fionn who came out from the bushes and shot into the back of Leo's car. Peter climbed in the passenger side and shut the door.

CHAPTER FIFTY ONE –

"What's that smell?" Leo asked covering up his nose with his hand.

"She got sick," Peter said pulling a face.

"How much did she have to drink?"  
"I have no idea, she showed up at my door around five this morning, completely out of it, mad at me for keeping a secret from her."  
"And did you?"

"Did I what?"  
"Keep a secret?"

"Well yes I suppose I did but it wasn't mine to tell."  
"Do you want to tell me?"  
"I don't think so." 

Anne laid in a heap on Peter's sofa. Drool rolled from her mouth down her face and pooled in her hair. Her eyes stung in the light and she could hear two male voices in the room. She opened one eye at a time at her spinning surroundings. She had to quit doing this to herself she thought. She tasted the gin in her mouth again and struggled not to vomit. She could see Peter and Leo standing in the kitchen from the sitting room door. Odd that these two would be together.

Anne sat up and put her hand on the back of the sofa to help with the spinning. Fionn came over to her and put his head on her knee. She rubbed his ears and took a drink from the glass of water on the table. She fought back a wave of nausea and took another sip before attempting to stand. She shuffled into the kitchen and at the awe of the two men plonked her head hard on the dining table.

"Cup of tea?" Peter smirked.

"Mmm," Anne murmured.

Peter placed a tea in frontof her and she took a load of sugar off the table and loaded it up. She took a steaming sip and closed her eyes to take it all in. Fionn joined her again and nudged her knee.

"I'm sorry guys, I'm leaving after this tea," Anne said running her fingers through her hair.

"I'm actually going to need you to meet me at the pub," Leo said gently.

"Oh I think I just puked a little then."  
"Not on my floor," grimaced Peter.

"Oh no I did didn't I?"  
"Yep," Peter said clearing the table.

"Is there any chance you can get a shower in before we meet the new investors?" Leo asked backing away from the smell.

"Investors?"  
"Yeah the people who want to buy your pub."

"Damn."

Anne pulled herself together and rushed to her house, Fionn quick in tow. She left a trail of clothes inside as she rushed for the shower. She stayed in the shower as long as time would permit allowing the hot water to rush over her body. She shaved, and scrubbed, then towelled off quickly. She rooted around for a hair dryer and gave her head a few quick blasts and pulled her hair up into an attractive bun. She found a black pencil skirt, a pair of modest heels and a red blazer.

The bags under her eyes were unreal. She coated her face in concealer, touched up her eyelids with a neutral colour and whisked her eyes with eyeliner and mascara. Not perfect but it would have to do. She pulled her purse over her shoulder and tapped her thigh to call Fionn.

The sun almost blinded her as she crossed the front yard to Peter's house where Leo sat inside waiting.

"Wow!" he said.

"Down boy," laughed Peter.

"Let's go sign some papers!" Anne smiled.

CHAPTER FIFTY TWO – DRINK

A group of five men stood outside of Fitzgerald's waiting on Leo and Anne. They ranged in ages from mid-thirties to retirement age, all wearing designer suits, and all speaking with light Dublin 4 accents. She shook their hands, opened the door and led everyone inside. The group of investors went through every room, checked every water tap, switched every light switch and a one, who this was his sole job, took an extensive inventory. One even took a ladder to the roof just to double check that Sky had fixed the faulty satellite dish. The group then met in the corner to go over their details while Anne fixed everyone a cup of tea.

"How do you think it's going out there?" Anne nodded from the kitchen.

"They seem happy enough, if I know these men like I think I do they will offer you a fair price," Leo said.

"Miss Fitzgerald can you come here a minute?" the eldest of the group called.

Anne came out from the kitchen to join them.

"We have had a discussion and we have decided to buy your premises."  
"That's fantastic news."  
"I assume everything comes with the location, furniture, consumables, etc."  
"What you see if what you get," she shrugged.

"And how long until you will be fully moved from the premises?"  
"Well that's easy, I never really moved in to begin with."

"Good good, and are there any personal effects that you would be removing from the bar area before you leave?"  
"Nothing that I can think of."  
"Let me put it another way, when a new group takes over we often change a few things, sure we keep it looking like an authentic Irish Pub, I mean that is what we do, but we do tend to take down photos that don't contain the words 'Guinness' or 'Jameson' on them," and with the ending comment the man pointed to the picture of Assumpta over the bar.

"Hang on this was her pub, her family started this place, she was a Fitzgerald!"  
"And we don't even know in six months' time if we will still even call the bar that."

Anne was getting the picture, she looked over her shoulder and saw Leo carefully take it off the wall and set it by Anne's handbag. She nodded over to him and turned to face the set of investors.

"Right, well that appears to be everything," the older man smiled, "Miss Fitzgerald, if you would just sign here, the money should be in your account by the end of the week."  
Anne signed the papers with a shaky hand.

"Miss Fitzgerald, it has been a pleasure doing business with you. I understand it is your wish to return to Dublin?"

"Yes that's correct."  
"Well then I hope we will see you in one of our other many establishments. Have a good day, Miss Fitzgerald." 

Each man stepped by her and shook her hand, and one waited behind as Anne and Leo collected their coats and made for the door. The last man locked the door firmly behind them and just like that they were cast out onto the streets of Ballyk.

"How do you feel?" Leo asked.

"Sad, but I'll live," Anne smiled.

"Look I'm headed back to London this evening, but it's been really lovely to meet you."  
"Thanks Leo."

"If you are ever in London?"  
"I will call."

"Please do, Cathy and I would love to have you stop by."  
"Thanks."  
"Take care," Leo said hugging Anne tightly before hopping in his flashy rental car and then he too was gone.

CHAPTER FIFTY THREE – THE CAT AND DADDY G

Anne stood on the pavement until Leo's car disappeared over the bridge crossing the River Angel and far out of sight. She unclipped Fionn from around the blue bench in front of the pub and hiked her handbag over her shoulder. Fionn pulled uncomfortably at his lead. 

Anne had gotten into a bad habit of letting him run without one, in Dublin that would have to stop. But they weren't in Dublin today, so she leaned down and set him free. He walked a few paces ahead of her on the sidewalk. Anne passed by her own cottage and continued up the road to the church. All was quiet at the top of the hill.

The door to the church was wide open and this peaked Anne's curiosity. Fionn found a cushy spot in the sun to sprawl out and roll around. She left him to it and stuck her head in the church. It had been weeks since she had been inside, and as she took in a deep inhale she wondered why all churches smell exactly the same.

There was fresh flowers on the altar, good old gals in the village would make sure that was kept up, and all the pews were freshly polished. The door to the sacristy was wide open as well and inside she could hear shuffling. Deciding this wasn't the place to be at this moment she turned to leave, her black pumps echoing a clacking sound behind her which couldn't be silenced.

A voice shouted after her, "Can I help you miss?"

An older man with white hair, tall and lanky build, and with what only could be described as ill-fitting dentures stood directly behind her.

"Sorry no, I saw the door open and thought."  
"Quite alright, are you a tourist or a parishioner?" the man asked.

"Resident, but I'm leaving soon."  
"You must be the pub owner."  
"Word travels fast, and previous owner I sold it this morning, and you are?"

"Father Thomas, I'm replacing Father Haulings."  
"Yes where is Patrick?"

"Father, or rather Mister Haulings has left."  
"No I know he left but he was living in the house next door, and…"  
"I'm sorry Miss no one lives there but myself, I moved in the morning, I found the keys in the sacristy and the entire place has been cleaned out."  
"Was there a note or anything?"  
"I'm afraid not, look have you contacted Father MacAnally? He might know something?"

"No I haven't but I will do thank you."  
"Oh and Miss, I love all creatures great and small but if you could please get your dog out of the flower beds I would very much appreciate it."  
"Sure you got it Father. Fionn! Let's go!"

CHAPTER FIFTY FOUR – SPIRIT PROOF

Anne and Fionn walked home softly and slowly. She said she needed time but she didn't expect Patrick to leave, and at that not even tell her where he was going. Peter's car was still in his drive when she arrived home. She took her keys and went to open the door to her cottage when she found it turned too easily. She pushed open the door to find it hadn't locked. Fionn bolted through the opened door straight into the house but Anne took her time. Something didn't feel right.

She opened the door slowly and looked around, everything appeared to be in its place with the exception of her laptop, her laptop was gone. On the floor there were a pile of documents, these too had been dishevelled and Anne noticed several financial documents pertaining to her work were also missing. She whispered for Fionn who returned as if nothing happened, indicating who ever had done this had most likely already left. She closed the door behind her and took both herself and Fionn to the police station.

"I'm sorry Miss if you are not clear if your door was locked or not it really isn't breaking and entering," the Garda officer said calmly.

"But what about my laptop and my work documents, that was confidential information that was leaked!"  
"I can send a detective to your home but these things do happen and it is rare that we are able to recover anything, have you contacted your company to let them know?"  
"No! I came home, realized I had been robbed and contacted yourselves!"  
"I will ask you to lower your tone."  
"I will ask you to do your job!"

"Look Miss, go home, call your company, clean your house, that's a good girl."

Anne grabbed her papers off the counter of the police station and fumed out.

"This isn't the end of this I have friends here!" she shouted on her way out the door.

"What was that all about?"

"Oh, nothing Commissioner Sullivan."  
"Didn't sound like nothing officer, sounded like that poor woman's house was burgled this morning and you have done very little to help her. And did I hear you tell her to cleaner her house and call her a good girl?"

"Yes ma'am," the officer said turning a dark shade of red.

"Now I know you are new here and Ballyk is no Dublin, but we take all crimes reported seriously is that understood."  
"Yes ma'am."  
"Did she file a police report?"  
"She did."  
"Let me see it."

Frankie scanned the police report, it looked like a standard small town break in. The door was potentially left unlocked, there could have been a window left open, but none of this could be determined without a site visit. The victim worked for a well-known firm in Dublin, and some sensitive materials were stolen along with a rather expensive laptop. Judging by the name on the form anyone would have known she was going to be out all morning with the local rumour mills flying around the status of the pub. One thing that Frankie has learned during her time on the beat in this small town is that you can never disregard the rumour mills as they can prove to be a valuable source of information.

"Right Officer O'Donoghue!" Frankie barked, "You're with me on this one, get your coat and a note pad."

CHAPTER FIFTY FIVE – PAUL DOOLEY SLEEPS WITH THE FISHES

Anne was deep in conversation with her managing director, pacing the floor on her mobile phone, she hadn't even begun to clean up the mess. Files were still scattered as well as the trail of clothes from earlier that morning.

"May I speak to Mr. Smyth please? … Yes I know he is in a meeting, this is Anne Fitzgerald … I can see his calendar is full … tell him it is an emergency my fecking corporate laptop was stolen! … Yes I will hold thank you." 

A knock at the door broke Anne's concentration.

"Miss Fitzgerald?"

"Yes?"

"I'm Commissioner Frankie O'Sullivan and this is Officer O'Donoghue."  
"Yes?"  
"I would like to talk to you about this morning's break in."  
"Yes of course, come in I am just on the phone with my office in Dublin, please have a seat I will be with you in a moment." 

Anne turned her attention back to the phone.

"Mr. Smyth, yes stolen, everything, and the Mackenzie file gone too … yes and that one as well … You're angry? How do you think I feel? ... Yes I know I can't work from home without a laptop … I would say I am still a lot of use to the company thank you! … I'll be back in Dublin next week … I am sorry that isn't soon enough for you … Yes I will see you first thing … Then take it as Annual Leave! …. ERR!" Anne growled as she slammed her phone down on the counter.

"Problem?" Frankie asked coming into the room.

"My boss, he is furious about this laptop going missing and the theft took some valuable files, we are protected by insurance but that doesn't protect the reputational risk if this gets out."  
"Can you explain to me about the nature of the files and if anyone would want them?"

"Part of what our company does is investments and portfolios. Anyone who has these files has bank details of very wealthy clients, that's all I can say really."

"And as a rule do you leave your house unlocked?"  
"No but I was in a hurry this morning I was late for a business meeting."  
"Do you mind if we have a look around?"

"Help yourself, just excuse the mess." 

Frankie and her officer combed the entire home and finished with the kitchen.

"Miss Fitzgerald, did you break a glass in here?" Frankie asked inspecting the tile floor littered with small shards of glass.

"No Why?"

"There appears to be some broken glass on the floor and oh I see … O'Donoghue! I think

we have the place where they broke in."

Anne followed the officer into her kitchen and noticed a small circle cut out from around the window pane. It didn't take a genius to see this looked like a professional job.

"Are you sure you can't think of anyone who would be targeting you?" Frankie asked Anne.

"I've pissed off half the village selling that pub, but I can't see any of them doing this."

"Me either, this looks like a personal vendetta against your firm in Dublin."

"So now what do we do?"

"I'll assign you with a case number, and if you find anything else let us know. The TV and other expensive appliances are still in the house so I don't think they will be coming back so you should be safe for now."

"Thanks, I'll let you know if I find out anything," Anne said showing the two officers to the door.

Fionn bounded after them and out the door. He playfully ran between her yard and Peter's yard. Peter stuck his head out the door when he heard her shouting.

"Need a hand?"  
"Help me catch him will ya?"  
"Sure, I'm on it. Was that Frankie I just saw leaving?"  
"Yeah you know her?"

"I know she's a Guard, that's about it really. Are you ok?"

"I was broken in to, my laptop has been stolen along with some files and I am in some serious shit at work if it doesn't get found soon. A few months peace in the country I thought, no crime, quiet living, and this happens."

"Preparation, getting you ready to head back to the big smoke."  
"Glad you can see the humour in this, I just wonder who would do something like this?" 

CHAPTER FIFTY SIX – IN A JAM

Anne and Peter secured Fionn to the front porch and the two of them went back into her home. She looked around the place peering through the fingers she had placed over her eyes.

"I just want to go home," she sighed.

"Look we'll clean this up and …"  
"No, no we won't, we will pack this up, and pack it in, I'm done." 

Anne went to the storage room under the stairs and started to pull out boxes.

"Give me the tape there from the drawer and if you are going to stay and help, help me by getting these boxes taped up, I need to be in Dublin next week, and if I am going to make my deadline I better get a move on."

 _Later that evening …_

In a dark corner in a pub in Cildargan Liam and Donal sat facing a man wearing a tweed jacket.

"You damn fools! You grabbed the wrong documents, and this laptop is encrypted! What have you done?!"  
"You said get the files and the computer, we got the files and the computer," said Liam.

"Yeah the files for the pub and the computer from the pub, this is a corporate laptop and these files are account details, this is a federal crime you idiots, I can't be seen attached to something like this!"

"How were we to know there were two computers and two sets of files?" asked Donal.

"Well for a start this computer has a registration logo on start-up that doesn't match the one Aidan used, and second do any of these files say Fitzgerald's anywhere on them?"

"They do," said Liam.

"Where!?"

"There," Liam pointed.

"That's because that is the woman's surname, it is talking about her not the pub!"

"Why do you want all this stuff anyway, the pub sold this morning to an investment firm in Dublin," said Donal suddenly stating the obvious.

"You mean we're too late."  
"Would seem so," said Liam.

"Brilliant, just fecking brilliant."  
"What did you want with this stuff anyway? asked Donal.

"That was for me to know and you to find out, it's all of no importance to me now anyway," the man said going to stand.

"Well what do you want us to do with all this stuff?" asked Liam.  
"Burn it!"

"But Mr. Quig…"  
"And don't call me that here! I was never here you understand!"

CHAPTER FIFTY SEVEN – GETTING BETTER ALL THE TIME

"Are you sure this is what you want to do?" Peter asked as he loaded the boxes into his car.

"I'm sure," smiled Anne weakly, "nothing for me here now."  
"I'm sorry about Patrick," Peter frowned, "You know if he is in touch I will let you know."

"It's ok, really."

"It's not, I can't understand what got into him."  
"I told him I needed time, and I guess he is giving me time."  
"Very philosophical of you."  
"I thought all of this would be right and instead I ended up wrong about everything. If I hadn't come here Aidan would still be alive, and Patrick would still have a career and a passion. All I do is destroy everything I come in contact with."

"Anne, Aidan would have got that Sky dish whether or not you were here. He was always trying new ways to bring the punters in, that was his job. And Patrick wasn't cut out for this kind of life, I don't know what kind of life he is cut out for but this just wasn't going to work and it took someone like you to help him see that."

Anne nodded through tears in her eyes.

"Do you have everything? It's getting late and we should go."

"I'm ready."

Anne and Peter stood in the hallway of Anne's Dublin apartment building.

"You'll say goodbye to Brendan for me won't you?"

"Yes I'll let him know."  
"And give my address to Frankie at the police station just in case they find my laptop? I think I forgot to write it down on the form."

"You got it."  
"Thanks, and tell everyone I'm sorry I couldn't stick around."  
"Are you going to be alright?"

"Yeah, I'll be alright."

Anne hugged Peter tightly.

"Will you do me one more favour?" Anne said to Peter after he let her go.

"What's that?"  
"Try and find love again, I think it's what Assumpta would have wanted.

CHAPTER FIFTY EIGHT – SMOKE SIGNALS

Anne looked around her old flat, it had seemed like a full lifetime since she was last here. The landlord had let the place as a holiday home as a compromise while she was away. Her few little boxes sat in the corner of the hallway. Fionn bounded around from room to room taking in all the new sights and smells. She opened up her fridge and stared in at the empty cold cave.

No food, makes sense, hadn't been shopping. Anne laughed a little to herself. She took her coat off the hook by the door and clipped the lead on Fionn. As she exited her building it started to rain. She hustled down to her local Mace and clipped Fionn to a pole outside.

"I'll only be a minute," she said patting the dog and running inside.

Anne grabbed a little metal basket and started to fill it with the bare essentials of frozen pizza, wine and a packet of crisps, oh and another bottle of wine. She paid the man at the checkout, took her bag and unclipped Fionn. The rain soaked her hair as she hustled to get home. In the shadows behind her a man in jeans and a black hoodie followed close behind.

She set her bag down on the concrete and fiddled with the keys to the main door when the man approached closer. She looked over her shoulder feeling someone there. She placed her keys between her fingers and turned sharply at the man pressing the keys against his neck.

"Anne, its ok Anne," a familiar voice said from underneath the hood.

"Patrick? What are you doing here?" Anne said slowly withdrawing the keys.

"I thought I'd check in on you and see if you've had enough time?"

Anne's body softened. Patrick stepped forward and took Anne in his arms embracing her in a passionate kiss.


End file.
